Before the Pendulum
by Valius 926
Summary: Set 111 years before the current Bleach storyline, 10th Captain Shiro Matsumura and the members of his Division face off against threats from within and without the Gotei 13 to uncover a plot that could devastate all of Soul Society.
1. Beginnings

"Hollows…?"

The shout rose through the breaking morning, a frantic voice, one filled with fear. A ripping sound and the voice was cut off with shriek of pain. The pale morning mist that had hung over the outskirts of the Rukongai surrounded the young recruit and despite her desperate searching, she suddenly couldn't find her other comrades, the nine other fresh recruits or their training instructor. For some reason, it seemed to be becoming even thicker and more dense, as if to make her efforts even more futile. The blade had become heavier in her hands but she clutched at it, keeping her zanpakuto raised in the defensive guard she's been taught at the academy. If it was true and there were real hollows around, it was all that would stand between her and death.

Hurried footsteps from behind and she whipped around, blade raised above her head to cleave down on any ambushing enemy that tried to get her turned back but the figure that stumbled through the mists was another recruit, Sousuke-kun. He was bleeding badly, one bloodied hand clutched to his chest where a monstrous claw had rent deep cuts into his flesh. He stumbled and fell, slipping on a patch of morning dew still fresh on the ground. She hurried over to help him when a shape burst from the mists, fangs, claws…and a howl that sent shivers down her spine in an instant. Her eyes widened as the mask appeared, a bone white skull, mouth curled in a cruel grin…a hollow mask.

Her breathing was becoming faster, her heart beating more rapidly with every passing moment. Fear gripped her limbs and forced her muscles to work. Her fingers curled around the grip of her zanpakuto and with a scream, she lunged, swinging the weapon with all her strength. The hollow was so close. She could see the malevolent intelligence behind those yellow eyes. Then her blade struck it in the centre of its mask…and kept on going, carving through hollow flesh and bone before it exploded, shattering into pieces. Almost immediately, a second came bursting out of nowhere behind her. She spun around, zanpakuto slashing through the air. It sank into the creatures skull at it collapsed, dissolving as well. And then there was silence once again.

"Sousuke-kun!" She sheathed her zanpakuto and hurried over to her team mate, rolling him over and checking his condition. He was starting to turn pale, his black shihakusho was slick with blood. She had to get help or get him to a relief squad station. She looked around. There was no one coming to help. Why did this have to happen? This was just meant to be a training exercise. Where did the real hollows come from? The sounds of more approaching figures. The recruit looked up, furiously brushing her sweat streaked blonde hair out of her face. "Is someone there…? We need medical assistance now!"

"No…"

The curtain of mists drew back just a fraction to reveal the newcomers…more hollows, five, six, more…? Her eyes flickered back and forth, desperately seeking a way out but they were surrounded. She reached for her zanpakuto and reached down to grab a fistful of Sousuke's robes but a bloodstained hand reached up and caught her by the wrist. "Get…out of here. Leave me. You'll never escape…carrying me with you." Her fellow recruit spat out a mouthful of blood as he struggled to sit upright. His weakened voice shook with the effort just of remaining conscious.

"I'm not leave you, you idiot. Shut up while I save you." She rose, holding her zanpakuto ready. She could do this…she had to or they were both dead. A rumbling seemed to reecho around her as if the hollows were chuckling at her situation. She gritted her teeth, knuckles whitening on the grip of her blade. If they came, she'd kill them. She was not going to let herself and Sousuke-kun die here. Her gaze switched from one masked face to another, eyes narrowed in concentration, watching for a sign of which would come at her first. Silence…no movement…and then they came all at once, the creatures surging forward as one. Closing her eyes so she wouldn't have to see death right in her face as it took her, she lashed out at the nearest Hollow, a last desperate strike of defiance before the end.

The sound of cleaving Hollow flesh, many times over. And the rending talons she'd envisaged tearing into her never came. 'What…?' Hesitantly, she opened her eyes slowly. A ring of slain Hollows lay all around her, bisected widthways. Before her, stood a taller figure, clad in the same black shihakusho as her. Long black hair fluttered out behind her as the newcomer sheathed her own zanpakuto. On her arm, she wore the insignia of a lieutenant, the marking of the Tenth Division emblazoned upon it in. The figure turned to face her. A beautiful face looked down on her, a young woman, piercing eyes alive and delicate features set in an expression of concentration. A single vertical line ran down through her left eye, a distinctive mark upon her face.

"Lieutenant…?" The word slipped from the recruit's lips before she passed out, sliding into the blackness and falling towards the forest floor. She felt hands catch her and lay her gently down on the damp earth. Then she knew nothing more.

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Hollows here…and attacking his recruits. The air froze all around him as he advanced through the forest, his cold fury affecting the atmosphere around him as Captain Shiro Matsumura drew his zanpakuto from his back. His white haori billowed out behind him as he gathered energy to himself, destructive power building up within him. Word had reached him moments after he had felt the disturbance in this area of the Rukongai district. Why had no one detected this before now? Usually alarms would have been raised long before they could penetrate this near a Gotei 13 controlled training area.

Weapon in hand, he'd gathered his officers to him in an instant, heading out without delay. If it had been anyone else, he might've organised his troops first but the recruits were the most vulnerable members of his division and he'd just have to wing it this time. As soon as they'd reached the forest, he dispatched them all to split up and try and rescue as many recruits as possible and then meet up back at the rendezvous point. He set off alone to deal with the source of this sudden attack. Through his altered sight, he could make out a blaze of energy between the trees, a figure ahead which commanded the Hollows here.

A pack of Hollows bounded out of the mists at him. A casual swing of his zanpakuto and they fell in pieces. More and more came, drawn by his greater spiritual pressure. They were wasting his time. He could sense a more powerful being ahead, probably the leader of this small horde. He brought his zanpakuto up in a two handed grip, the cold metal resting against his forehead. His words came out as a whisper of chilled air on the early morning winds. "Shatter…Shiroiken."

The temperature dropped all around him as he unleashed his shikai. The huge blade of the great sword he wielded became sheathed in a layer of ice, the metal flashing with an inner burning blue flame. Whipping it around him, he lashed out, left and right, charging forward and driving into the ranks of the Hollows with a roar of fury. Everywhere his blade struck, the enemy froze, ice stabbing through their bodies and engulfing them in ice. Bursting out the rear of them, he stabbed his blade into the ground, not bothering to turn. As one, the massed group of hollows burst apart in a shower of glittering shards, their remains scattering across the earth and then melting into nothing.

"Impressive…"

Before him, situated in the middle of a clearing, stood the source of the greater spiritual pressure. It was a Hollow…but far larger, humanoid and standing on two legs. It had a powerful, muscular body, its arms ending in great claws still drenched in blood. Its eyes gleamed with intelligence, far more than normally seen in a Hollow. Its mask resembled a human skull, distorted into a wicked smile. It was an Adjuchas class at least…but strange. Its spiritual pressure had an aura to it that he had never felt before. It didn't matter. It had to die. He levelled his blade at its head.

Then the Adjuchas moved. One second his weapon was at the Hollow's throat, the next it was on his right, claws slicing for his face. Matsumura managed to raise his zanpakuto in time, the claws ringing off the broad blade. He dodged two more swipes, twisting his body aside to avoid them and slashing down. It bit into the Hollow's carapace but refused to cut through. A fist caught him in the face and he flew backwards, rolling in the air and landing, bringing Shiroiken up in time to stop talons being driven into his chest. The second claw came up but his fist caught it before it could reach him. Muscles strained as they stood locked together. Frost coated the creature's hands but it continued to resist. With a snarl, they burst apart, landing a few metres apart and crouching in battle stances, weapons bared.

"You came quicker than expected, shinigami. I thought I could enjoy toying with your recruits a little longer but you had to come and ruin the fun. Now I have other plans. You can just die here." It raised a hand and Hollows began to emerge from around them, tens, hundreds. Alone they'd be nothing but all together…they could be challenging to him. The Adjuchas' smile seemed to broaden as it lowered its arm in a chopping motion, signalling the Hollows to charge as it drew back.

"You're not getting away that easily…" Matsumura raised his zanpakuto in both hands. He ignored as the waves of Hollows came pouring out of the trees all around him. He just focussed on his blade as he gathered reiatsu to himself, sharpening his will into it. Then, he inverted the blade, holding it point down and drove it into the earth. The ground shook all around him as if an explosion had erupted from the point of impact. The temperature rapidly dropped all around him, ice creeping outwards in an expanding circle from where he stood.

"Bankai… Senamatsu Shiroiken…"

Hollows that lunged from all sides suddenly stopped in their movements, some crouched low, others bounding through the air, claws extended…but they couldn't come any close. Thousands of blades of ice punched through the ground at their feet where it had become frozen over, driving through their hardened skin and bursting out their backs, tearing them in half. They were held there, transfixed for a moment, before the ice blades exploded, shattering into a storm of razor-like particles. Raising one arm like a conductor, Matsumura thrust forward with his sword arm. The storm of ice followed his movements, driving forward under his influence.

Lesser Hollows standing between him and the Adjuchas were ripped apart as the storm descended upon them. The leader of the Hollows disappeared as it too was engulfed in the attack. Through the dense cloud of ice shards, the two yellow eyes of the main enemy blazed and then they were gone. With a ripple of cold wind, the concentrated mass of ice burst apart and scattered away, falling all around the captain as he sheathed his zanpakuto across his back. The enemy was gone. His task here was done now. With a last glance back to where the Adjuchas had stood, he turned and marched off, heading to meet up with the rest of his Division and see how many recruits they had managed to save.

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"Four wounded, one critical and already on his way to Captain Unohana. He should make it if they get him there in time. Overall, no fatalities." Fifth seated officer Keisuke Nakamura yawned widely as he crumbled up the parchment he'd been reading off and tucked it back into his shihakusho, leaning back against the wall of the meeting room and folding his arms, looking ready to drift off again before he could be called on to do anything else. A swift crack across the back of the head forced him to sit up. Tucking her sheathed zanpakuto back into her sash, Yugito Kosaka, his senior by one rank, continued to glare at him until he sat up straighter, in a false attempt at looking attentive.

"Do we have any idea how the Hollow got this far into Soul Society without any warnings going off. There were meant to be shinigami posted all around the training area to make sure something like this didn't happen. The recruits aren't ready to face Hollows without support, especially not that many. I'm surprised none of them were killed, all things considering." At Matsumura's side, his third in command, Kiyoshi Maeda's heavily scarred face was composed in its normal serious frown, staring into the small fire burning in the centre of the meeting room. He looked around at the captain, as if expecting him to know the answer to this.

Matsumura shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine in this. Unfortunately the Hollow died too quickly before he could say anything though I hope that puts the situation to rest. With any luck, it was just a fluke and security will tighten in that area from now on to ensure it doesn't happen again. Either way, I've already passed on the message to the 12th Division. Kirio-chan…Captain Hikifune is going to take her team and look into it in this evening before the traces get washed away during the night. She'll report anything to me if they find anything and I suppose I'll relay it to you people if it's important."

"That should be all for now. Dismissed." He sighed and rose to his feet, shaking out his captain's haori and reattaching his zanpakuto across his back. The three-seated officers did the same, following his lead. They started to file out one by one, waving their good nights and disappearing off to their rooms, leaving him alone with the remaining occupant of the room. "Shouldn't you be getting to bed too, Rei-chan. It's been a rather exciting day for all of us. You should probably get some rest. Who knows what we'll have to do tomorrow."

"Alright then." Lieutenant Rei Mikihara brushed a loose strand of dark hair aside as she turned to look at the captain, concern written on her face. "Today was too close, Captain. If we'd been a minute or two slower, our casualties would've been a lot higher than they turned out. If I'd arrived a few seconds later, we'd have two dead recruits on our hands."

"Well we'll find out how this happened and make sure such a thing never occurs. Don't worry about it now. They all made it back and the situation is diffused for now." He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, steering her to the door. They stepped outside into the courtyard, opposite the 10th Division barracks. The evening air was cool and calming now. It was hard to think that earlier that day, they'd been racing through Soul Society as fast as possible to stop Hollow attacks on the training grounds.

"Besides…from what I've heard, the recruits performed quite well despite the circumstances. Managed to fend off the Hollows long enough for us to get there and drive them off. Considering they've only faced simulations before, it's not bad. Especially that girl you brought back. What was her name again…?"

Rei folded her arms across her chest, staring out onto the slowly rising moon. She seemed to be thinking back to earlier that day, arriving just in time on the scene to find the young girl facing off against the pack of Hollows attacking her as she defended the downed body of a comrade. "Matsumoto. She's called Rangiku Matsumoto."


	2. Peace Interrupted

It was late morning in the small teahouse, gentle light just showing through the paper walls of the 8th Division building. Within, three captains of the Gotei 13 met as they did every day at the beginning of the week, two senior captains who'd been there since its inception, joined many years later by a third, younger captain. Though originally reluctant to associate in such a casual manner with such venerable superiors, he'd eventually been persuaded and now there he was.

With a sigh, Matsumura removed the strip of black cloth he wore tied over his eyes. His drinking partners, or more particularly, the 8th Division captain, Shunsui Kyoraku, insisted that he didn't wear it while in their company and deferring to his seniority, he obeyed. He'd been born blind and the white pupils had always been a cause for intimidation when he'd been younger. Though then again, as Shunsui was accustomed to say, it wasn't much of an improvement.

But the blank emotionless stare was all people were left to see when they looked at him, just as all he could now see was the world in a blaze of reiatsu, everything visible by its spiritual pressure and presence. His lack of sight had been compensated for by enhanced senses of reiatsu. Somehow, he'd prefer to just be able to see normally.

Shunsui shoved a bowl of sake across to him and the drinking began. The third member of their group, Captain Jushiro Ukitake of the 13th Division, sipped a cup of green tea, looking more serene as the other started with the first bowl in one and refilled. Similar to every other weekly 'meeting' they'd had since Matsumura had made captain, it wasn't until the third bowl that they started talking, catching up on recent events and doing a very manly version of gossip, sometimes involving the most attractive females in Soul Society, directed by the 8th Division captain. It was usually followed by his lieutenant suddenly appearing out of nowhere to cuff him around the head or pour something over his head for his lewdness.

"So how about yesterday, Shiro-kun? Heard you got stuck in with some Hollows out in the Rukongai. What's that about?"

Matsumura shrugged, taking another long draft of sake and gesturing for a refill. He needed it before speaking. "Yeah. You heard right there. I sensed a presence out there and got my officers together as soon as I realised it was right where our recruits were. Luckily we managed to get there in time before any were killed. One's recovering with Unohana-sensei's people but he'll make a full recovery in about a week." He paused. "But that Hollow... There was something strange about it. Its aura was different from any I'd ever encountered before. Distorted somehow..."

"It wouldn't be the first, actually." Ukitake joined into the conversation now, setting aside his cup of green tea and taking a bite out of a piece of ohagi. "Over the past few days, we've been getting reports of increasingly stronger Hollows appearing in the area, more Adjuchas class Hollows among them. Not just that but some are manifesting powers we've never seen before. Many squads have already been lost. The remains of the ones you took out are the first we've been able to take back for analysis since this situation began."

"Yeah, I've heard. And Kirio-chan was meant to be coming back with some results from her findings. She took her search team out last night when we got back and said she'd have something by morning. She's normally faster than this… Maybe there were complications." Matsumura looked thoughtful for a moment before turning slightly in his seat. "Isn't that right, Lieutenant Yadomaru? What's the recent news from the 12th headquarters?"

A rustle from above and the head and shoulders of the 8th Division lieutenant appeared from a sliding hatch in the ceiling, her long dark ponytail swinging below like a pendulum. She peered down at the three captains, pushing her glasses back up as they slipped down her nose due to her inverted position.

"According to Captain Hikifune, the research team seems to having trouble with identifying the characteristics of the remains they recovered. For some reason, no two results or readings they take are the same and it keeps damaging their equipment with each run and if not for the captain's insistence that she never fails, they would've given up by now." She seemed to pause for thought before adding, "And also she said Captain Matsumura should be patient next time and not rely on other people to spy for him."

They watched as the 8th Division lieutenant disappeared again without another word, off to go eavesdrop on someone else, crawling away through the ceiling cavities. Shunsui continued to peer up at the hole she'd left in his ceiling. "Shiro-kun. Did you have to use my Lisa-chan to get information for you? She's quite delicate, you know."

A curse from above made the three captains glance up again. It seemed Lisa Yadomaru hadn't left the building yet. Matsumura shrugged again. "It's not like I sent her. She just always seems to know stuff and she just happened to be in your ceiling just now which makes her useful for finding information. Why don't you tell her not to eavesdrop on captains having a private talk? You wouldn't catch my lieutenant doing that."

"Well I do but…she always replies with that it being human nature to be curious about secrets. And then she tends to disappear before I can say anything else so I let her get about her business."

There were sounds of movement outside which Matsumura at first thought to be Lieutenant Yadomaru still making her way out of the building. Ukitake glanced over at Shunsui, who nodded in turn, looking pointedly from him to the area directly over his shoulder. A jerk of his head to the other senior captain was acknowledged by the 13th Division captain and then both began to move slightly in their seats.

"Jushiro-kun…? Shunsui? Why are you…edging away like that…?" Matsumura raised an eyebrow as he noticed the two senior captains shuffling sideways, the latter and more colourfully attired of the two dragging the tray of sake along with him. A dark shadow fell across him. Behind him, his senses picked up an explosive surge of reiatsu as a figure who'd been previously concealing his presence advanced. The captain of the Tenth Division sighed. "Oh shi…"

With a roar, a giant burst through the wall behind him, shattered wood and paper fluttering all around. A sword came swinging down, driven downwards by great murderous force, aimed for splitting his head down the centre. Matsumura dived forward, rolling and coming to his feet, haori billowing out behind him as he whipped around, falling into a fighting stance. A haze of smoke filled the gap where a hole had been smashed through the side of Shunsui's drinking room, the outline of a figure just visible standing there.

The towering man drew back a hand and the clouds of dust parted to reveal the enemy, black shihakusho, white captain's haori and scarred torso bared. A huge zanpakuto was aimed at his chest, a vicious blade five and a half foot long sharpened to a razor edge. There was a wild gleam in the eyes of Captain Kenpachi Harashi of the 11th Division stepped inside. His reiatsu blazed like a sun in Matsumura's altered vision. "Prepare yourself, Shiro Matsumura. I have come to kill you!"

"Again…?"

Matsumura shook his head and shrugged. He looked over at the two other captains present but Jushiro gave his usual smile that told him he had nothing to do with this while Shunsui just continued on with pouring himself another drink and pretending someone hadn't just burst through the wall of his teahouse. Seeing that they were going to be no help, he looked back at the wild 11th Division captain. "Maybe another time, Kenpachi. As you can see, I don't even have my zanpakuto on me."

Someone cleared their throat very loudly and pointedly. Looking around, Matsumura found Rei standing there, clutching the large sheathed form of Shiroiken in her arms. She gave him a wink before tossing it across the room, his arm automatically reaching out and catching it. He sighed again. His fingers curled around the hilt and he draw the massive blade out, tossing the sheath aside and levelling it. "Alright…fine. Let's get this over and done with then."

"When this is over, Rei-chan…we're going to have words about conspiring with other captains against your own superior." Matsumura ignored his lieutenant's replying grin and turned to face Kenpachi…and lunged. A flash step brought him inches from Kenpachi in a moment, his open palm striking the other captain and throwing him backwards out of the room again. With a bound, he leapt through the hole in the wall after him, landing on the grassy lawn outside Shunsui's drinking room in the centre of the 8th Division headquarters, a small, calming courtyard in imitation of Jushiro's back in the 13th Division soon to be redecorated.

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His opponent skidded to a halt, the latter's face alive with excitement at impeding combat. The giant wasted no time in breaking into a run, a force of destructive power racing forward to try and crush him before the battle had even started. Hefting his own blade, Matsumura drew back and lashed out as the opponent got within range.

Their zanpakuto were a blur of motion, their massive size belayed by the speed by which they wielded them. The savage all-out offensive of Kenpachi was met by the stoic, controlled defence of Matsumura's kendo, honed through countless years of training under the eye of Captain Unohana of the 4th Division. Matsumura's vision was ablaze with bursts of reiatsu, a furious storm that struck and broke against his blade.

His zanpakuto flared white as his own attacks tore into Kenpachi's whirlwind of spirit-forged metal, seeking a gap in their defences. Simultaneous blows and they were locked. Matsumura grit his teeth, fighting to force back the greater strength of the 11th Division captain. Dropping low, he let the opponent's superior force spin him around, coming around with a rising uppercut, open palm driving Kenpachi back with a blow under the chin, sending him stumbling back.

Shiroiken flashed with a blue aura as Kenpachi charged forward, a reckless assault that left no room for Matsumura to strike back effectively as blow after blow rang off its edge. His few attacks rebounded ineffectively against the oppressive advance. The heavy blade, enhanced by the wielder's monstrous strength made each parry and block resound throughout his body as the smaller captain continued to stand his ground.

A slice nicked his check, fresh blood seeping from the cut and leaving a warm trail down the side of his face. Another swipe just grazed his shoulder. Manic laughter rang in his ears as the 11th Division captain continued to bear down on him, unrelenting. He just needed an opening…a break in the attacks to strike back. The tactical section of his mind worked furiously, trying to read the other's seemingly random attack pattern and analyse it for the right time to counter. 'There!'

Shiroiken screamed as it slashed through the air, knocking the other zanpakuto aside in mid-swing and throwing Kenpachi off his stride. The sound of the two blades clashing against each other rang throughout the courtyard. The return stroke opened up a cut across the man's chest, spattering the grass with blood. Driving forward, Matsumura delivered a powerful roundhouse kick that sent Kenpachi stumbled backwards before managing to halt, stabbing his zanpakuto into the ground for grip. A trail of blood ran from the corners of his mouth as he wiped it aside with the back of his hand, staining his white sleeves. His bloodied teeth were bared in a grin.

"Good, Shiro Matsumura. I'd be disappoint if you didn't put up a fight before killing you." Kenpachi raised his zanpakuto before him, the heavy blade held aloft in his fist. His reiatsu, already pouring out in waves, seemed to surge yet again as his he opened his mouth to roar to the heavens. "Rend the earth asunder! Chiryouken!"

The earth around Kenpachi cracked, a massive crater forming at his feet. The already-oversized blade in his hands seemed to grow even larger, becoming wider and longer. Teeth-like shards of metal slid from the edges, black metal stained with the rusty tinge of dried blood. Traced in silver upon its mirror-like face was the outline of a bloodhound, eyes glowing with a dull red light. It was a monstrous weapon…wielded by an equally fearsome opponent.

"Shiro Matsumura, prepare to be shown that even with weapon such as that, you shall still fall before me. Die!" Kenpachi charged again, both hands grasping the hilt and bearing down upon him, the black blade howling as it carved the air apart.

Matsumura felt the corner of his lips twitch in a smirk as he drew back his own zanpakuto, lunging forward to meet the attack, ice started to form down the silvery surface of its own accord. Power surged in his sword arm as he burst forward, both hands driving it onwards, light flashing off the trail of ice crystals that flew in the wake of his slashing blade. "Shatter! Shiroiken!"

His blade glowed and became pure white as the zanpakuto tore through the air. Against him, Kenpachi surged forward, Chiryouken howling as it cleaved down, aimed at not just cutting but crushing the enemy with its weight. The force of their conflicting spiritual pressures made the trees all around them bend away, pulses of energy churning a tempest around them with their blades at the centre. The world seemed to explode with reiatsu, almost blinding Matsumura as his zanpakuto suddenly ceased movement of its own accord.

A glowing figure had appeared between the two combatants, a female bathed in pure white light. Long white hair fluttered out behind her, her long captain's haori rippling around her. A zanpakuto in the form of a tachi blade was held above her head, the blade locked in the quivering teeth of Chiryouken. As the light faded, Matsumura realised why his zanpakuto had suddenly come to a stop in an instant, the furious assault dispelled to nothing in an instant. Shiroiken was an extension of himself…and he could never bring himself to harm her. The grin on that beautiful face told him she knew it too.

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Captain Kirio Hikifune of the 12th Division gave a shove upwards and Kenpachi stumbled back, still reeling from having his attack neutralised so suddenly, his movement arrested without him even realising it. With a casual flick of her wrist, she sheathed her blade at her side in a single smooth motion and strolled over to Matsumura, coming to stand before him, hand on her hips. "Shiro-kun…I thought you said you weren't going to go fighting with Kenpachi anymore. It's bad for your health."

Matsumura held up his hands defensively, his expression incredulous. "It's not my fault. It was all Kenpachi attacking me like a madman and I was defending myself. Tell her, Kenpachi!"

He stabbed a finger at the 11th Division captain but the man was already walking off, waving a dismissive hand in reply. He turned to get support from Ukitake or Shunsui but the two were also gone, the trails of a colourful cloak whipping around a corner and out of sight. Mikihara was whistling to herself, averting her gaze and pretending she couldn't hear anything of what was going on. Hikifune raised an eyebrow before clapping him around the back of the head.

"You're just lucky I stopped you now. If Unohana-sensei caught you fighting again, she'd be very displeased. And you know what happens then." Ignoring Matsumura's paling expression, she turned on her heel and started to walk off, her robes billowing out behind her. "Come on, Shiro-kun. We have a captains meeting now. The old man wants us all to assemble at the First's headquarters immediately."

Rubbing the back of his head where her hand had struck, Matsumura looked after her. Even when they'd been younger she'd been the one to take the authoritative role in their relationship. Nowadays she still liked to remain on top in whatever the situation they ended up in. A slap on the back from Mikihara returned him to reality rapidly from his reminiscing as she came to stand next to him.

Hikifune glanced back a moment, looking back over her shoulder. "Hurry up, Shiro-kun. I swear...if we're late because of you, you're going to think a twenty-four hour spar with Kenpachi is like a fist fight with a prepubescent recruit in comparison to what I'll do to you."

"Alright, then. I'm coming." Matsumura shrugged again, setting off at a jog to catch up with the 12th Division captain, calling over his shoulder as a flash step took him out of view. "You look after the recruits and the HQ until I get back, Rei-chan. I'll be back shortly…I hope."


	3. Building Bonds

"_Gin... Don't go… Don't leave me again." Rangiku leapt out of the meagre bedroll she'd managed to scavenge to try and catch up with the retreating figure of the boy. He didn't turn as she called after him, opening the door to their small shelter. The thin fabric of the bedding tangled up her feet and she tripped. The more she struggled to free herself, the more she became stuck. The trails of his travelling robes were far from the reach of her clawing hands as he disappeared into the night, rapidly being swallowed up by the darkness. "Gin…"_

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"Gin!" Rangiku's eyes snapped wide open as she sat up, breathing fast and heart racing. Gentle sunlight bathed the room in light, not a dingy shack in the Rukongai but the barracks of the 13th Division. Birds were chirping outside and looking out the open door, the sun was high in the sky already. The other members of her recruit squad were all gone. She leapt out bed and almost colliding with a black-clad figure that'd appeared before her. At eye height, the young girl found herself staring at a wooden crest, the cross and daffodil of the Tenth Division inscribed upon it. Raising her head slowly, she found herself looking up into the face of Lieutenant Rei Mikihara, the senior officer's arms folded and her customary front-hanging lock of hair at this angle hiding what must be an angry frown at her tardiness.

The lieutenant swept aside her dark hair to instead reveal a friendly grin, free from the irritation she had expected. She uncrossed her arms and helped pull Rangiku out of her bed. The young girl had her zanpakuto thrust into her arms and her black shihakusho tossed on top of it. "Come on, recruit. Get dressed and get your ass to the training dojo on the double. If you're not there in five minutes, I'm going to have you running laps around the compound, alright? See ya now!"

With a mock salute, Lieutenant Mikihara bounded out the door in a casual flash step, leaving Rangiku hurrying to pull on her uniform, stumbling out of the barracks in her wake, attempting to tie her sash on while clutching her sheathed zanpakuto in her mouth and trying to stop her hakama falling off at the same time. It was several more minutes before she came stumbling in, tripping over her own feet and almost collapsing in a heap at Mikihara's feet. Hands gripped her under the arms and hauled her to her feet, brushing her down to straighten her shihakusho.

"Wow, Rangiku-chan. I was kidding when I said you'd have to run laps. Come on… Sort your uniform out before we get started." The officer waited for a moment while the recruit fiddled with her uniform then tugged on the bogu armour pressed into her arms. Once she was finally kitted up, she drew herself up to her full height, coming just up to the lieutenant's chest. The latter passed her a shinai and then drew her own from the weapon rack. Somehow, even though the weapon she held was only made of wood, in the hands of such an experienced shinigami, Rangiku felt the need for even more protection to avoid possible death.

"Alright…well your other fellow recruits are still either in the 4th Division healing up or have been sent on a long endurance run today. Instead, the captain told me to instruct you personally. Zanjutsu is one of the most essential skills you need to master as a member of the Gotei 13. And in a few moments, I reckon you'll get to see a fine example of it in action." Mikihara peered at the sun as if reading the time of day, counting slowly down on her fingers before putting one to her lips and pointing off to the building in the distance to Rangiku. "And now…"

"Keisuke, you pervert bastard!" A small explosion suddenly erupted from one of the buildings across the courtyard, the female officers' quarters. A moment later, a figure came running out, Keisuke Nakamura sprinting away as another person leapt out behind him. Wielding her zanpakuto one handed and clutched a towel around her body with the other, long dark hair still soaking wet, Yugito Kosaka came lunging at him. With a yelp, the 5th seated officer managed to draw his own zanpakuto in time, dropping to his knees and leaning back like doing a limbo in time to catch her blade on his.

He rolled and spun around, parrying a flurry of attacks, sparks flying as Kosaka struck at him again and again, curses flying hard and fast enough to make Mikihara temporarily cover Rangiku's ears, the voices just about carrying across the courtyard. The young recruit watched the comical scene playing out but noticed that, for all the play fighting, their sword work was flawless, each carefully weighted attack met by an impenetrable defence. Kosaka kicked Nakamura flying, crashing through the wall of another building and lunged in after him, the two disappearing from view again.

"Right well…as you could see there, thanks to our fine senior officers, kendo is an art by which to protect yourself and deal damage to those who seek to harm you…or your privacy. That's also the most active you'll see officer Nakamura ever, funnily enough." Mikihara scratched the back of her head in thought before taking a step back and raising her shinai in both hands, taking her stance. "Alright…this will be done easier with actions rather than words. Helmet on, shinai up, let's go, Rangiku Matsumoto."

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant… What…?" The young girl's eyes widened, ramming on her helmet and raising her shinai just in time to catch a downwards slash, the cracking of old wood sounding throughout the dojo room. The next half an hour went by in a blur, her memories hazy with shouted instructions and repeated bashes on the head, her arms aching and sweat poured down her face underneath her mask. Somehow, she thought this was going to be a very…very long day.

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"Shall we take a break now?"

"Yes…please…" Rangiku pulled off her helmet, running a hand through her sweat-soaked, blonde hair. She bent over, hands resting on her knees and panting hard. She slumped down on the floor, resting her back against the nearest wall. For the past three hours, she'd sparred back and forth against the 10th Division lieutenant and it had been some of the hardest training she'd ever undertaken. A cup of cold water was pressed into her hands as the lieutenant walked over, looking as serene as if she hadn't just been lunging back and forth, whacking her training partner senseless with a shinai for a long period of time.

"How'd you get so...good at kendo, Lieutenant?"

The older woman grinned as she sat down next to her, tucking her knees up to her chest and resting her head against the back wall. "I learnt from the best. Captain Matsumura trained me everyday from when I first joined the 10th Division. If you were subjected to his training everyday, it'd be impossible for you to be anything but an expert. But luckily you got stuck with me instead."

"That was one of the things I was wondering..." Rangiku sipped at her water, steadily regaining her breath. Her shihakusho clung to her body, soaked with sweat beneath her bogu. Luckily, the cool breeze ran through the dojo, filtering through the open ends of the room. Now the crashing of shinai had been silenced, only the rustle of the leaves and the chirping of birds could be heard. It was very...calming. "Why did the captain order you to look after me personally? And well...tell me about him. I met the captain once when I first joined the Division but it was momentary and he seemed kind of...cold and distant at the time. That's all I really know about him."

"Don't be fooled. Despite his hard exterior, he does really care about everyone under his command. And as for why he picked you out, the captain has an 'eye' for people who are marked out for what he calls greatness. And standing your ground to protect a friend is quite an admirable act in itself." Mikihara chuckled to herself at some private joke. She paused, as if in deep in thought, pondering over what she knew and wondering where to start. "Now...the captain himself. Let me see..."

"Well aside from the original members and Captain Kuchiki-sama, the oldest members of the Gotei 13 are Captain Hikifune and our captain. Both grew up together in the Rukongai and joined the Gotei 13 at the same time, becoming students of Captain Unohana who taught them kendo. They became captains of the 10th and 12th Divisions respectively at the same time and have been serving with distinction for many more years than the younger ones. Not just that but he's contributed in making others into what they are today. Captain Matsumura ended up training Lady Yoruichi Shihoin who later became 2nd Division captain among some other prominent members. Oh…and myself, of course."

As the lieutenant spoke, with her easy laid back manner, it made it difficult for Rangiku to remain wary of being in the presence of such a senior officer, relaxing and allowing herself a small smile of her own. "But anyway…shall we get back to training, Rangiku-chan?"

She nodded and made to get up, her mouth suddenly opening wide in a yawn. She realised what she was doing and clapped her hands to mouth, looking over at the young lieutenant to find her chuckling slightly at the recruit's attempts to hide her tiredness. The woman squatted down again. "Well alright…I suppose a few more minutes rest can't hurt. You look like you didn't get a whole lot of rest last night. Nightmares or something? You can tell me about them if you want. The captain says I'm good at listening. It could help."

"Err…" Rangiku hesitated a moment. Since that day joining the academy and then the Gotei 13, she'd never shared her past with anyone yet she felt she could trust this woman almost instinctively. "Well it sort of involved a guy. Gin…He was called Gin Ichimaru and we'd known each other for a few years since he saved me from starvation in the Rukongai. We found a small shack where we lived for a while, taking shelter from the rain and cold. For a while we were happy, content with just being together alone and living as we did."

She swallowed, the events running through her mind, bringing with it all the sadness she'd fought to suppress over the years since then. "Then one day, while out in the forests just outside the city walls, Gin said he'd met a man who'd taught him a few things, how to manipulate his natural reiatsu and some techniques for fighting. Everyday he'd go back to see this person and come back looking pleased with himself, so I didn't question it at first. And then he started going…darker. There's no describe it. He became more sarcastic, more scathing… The other kids were scared off until only I stuck by him"

"It must've been this new man he'd met. I questioned him about who this person was…" She shook her head and shuddered slightly. Mikihara moved closer, wrapping a protective arm around her, which she accepted unconsciously. "Gin said that he'd never seen the man's face, that it was always covered in shadows. All he could make out was that he was very tall and seemed to carry some sort of blade beneath travelling robes."

"And then one night…Gin just left." A tear ran down her cheek but she brushed it away furiously with the back of her hand. "He didn't explain why or even say a word of goodbye. He just left and I couldn't stop him. I guess that I keep reliving that moment occasionally which his what woke me up today."

She'd started to cry, despite her best attempts at quelling the tears. The memories were too painful. She felt the lieutenant holding her close, one hand brushing her hair gently and she buried her face in the senior officer's shihakusho, forgetting for that moment where she was or who she was with. It was several more moments before she could regain some control over herself. "I'm sorry about this, Lieutenant. I didn't mean to break down like this. It's just…"

"It's alright…" The lieutenant's voice was warm and caring. She looked around to find the woman with a reassuring smile on her face. There was a rustle as she rose to her feet, pulling the recruit with her. Tucking her shinai under one arm, Mikihara offered out a gloved hand to her. "Come on. We'll take a lunch break and then we can come back to this when you're feeling more up to this. Just as long as we don't take too long. When the captain comes back, we want to put on a good show for him. Now let's go. You'll feel better with some food in you."

Nodding her agreement and wiping her eyes on her own shihakusho this time, Rangiku tucked her shinai into her sash and took the lieutenant's hand, quickening her pace to match the older woman's as they departed from the dojo and out into the bright courtyard, lit by the blazing midday sun.

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The captains listened in silence as Hikifune finished her report, almost a repetition of what Matsumura had already heard from his ceiling-inhabiting informant and his drinking partners. At the head of the room, the old man Yamamoto gestured for her to return to her place before leaning heavily on his staff as he mused on the situation to himself. The other captains waited for his decision, tension hanging over the captains' chambers with its oppressive quiet. It was bad enough to have an emergency meeting on such short notice but now for the old man not to have an immediate solution wasn't the most reassuring of things to see.

While they waited, Matsumura looked around left and right, observing the other captains, maybe to see what they were thinking of the situation. Opposite him, Hikifune was staring at the floor, slightly flustered. She always got so worked up when delivering a report to the commander-captain even after so many years. She looked up, meeting his gaze and grinning weakly. She really did have her silly moments… Always so confusing. She could face down a horde of Hollows on her own but standing alone to address the old man always made her so nervous. He always had to poke her and take her out for a good meal afterwards to help her get over it.

Towards the end, furthest from him, Jushiro-kun and Shunsui looked thoughtful, having already heard the news though the latter seemed to not have his mind on the same thing as the others judging by the self-amused smirk on his face. Probably girls again. Matsumura's sensei, Captain Retsu Unohana looked as she did most of the time, serene and calm, eyes lowered to the floor in her natural feminine modesty. She looked around at him and he straightened up slightly under her scrutiny. Posture had always been a pet peeve of hers. His reaction earned a slight smile from her before she returned her gaze downwards.

Kuchiki-sama was the image of the nobility as they were imagined by the common people, reserved and standing proud and tall amongst his peers. Well he had every right to be. His power was great and had seen many years of experience, perhaps as many as the old man himself. However, what this greater wisdom allowed him to make of the situation remained a mystery just from reading his features.

Opposite him, Matsumura's former student and complete opposite of Kuchiki-sama, 2nd Division captain Yoruichi Shihoin looked relaxed, hands on her hips and failing to suppress her yawn at being up by midday. She winked playfully across at him before being smacked on the arm by Hikifune, mock glaring at her. Kenpachi was absent as always. He never bothered to turn up and generally only turned up when something exploded in Soul Society.

The younger ones were keeping to themselves. Shinji Hirako of the 5th was looking well…bored as he often did as if wanting to get out of the meeting as soon as possible. Love Aikiwa and the newest captain, Rojuro Otoribashi, were seemingly waiting for the senior captains to come up with something. Kensei Muguruma of the 9th was standing with bare arms folded, looking restless at having to wait for orders. That one was always impatient to be getting stuck into the action. Too bad there was no enemy out in the open for him to come charging out and stab to death with his released zanpakuto.

At last, Yamamoto banged his staff down again to regain attention, resting heavily on it as he walked down the line to come to a halt in front of Matsumura and Hikifune. "Until we have more information on these new Hollows, it will be difficult to organise proper actions against them. You two, Captains Matsumura and Hikifune, will be in charge of investigating into them, the 10th Division seeking out the enemy and the 12th learning whatever they can from the encounters. Captain Yoruichi and the 2nd Division will support them and lend fast response units when needed."

"Kyoraku and Ukitake are to remain on standby as is Kuchiki-sama, guarding the Seireitei. Muguruma, Hirako, Aikiwa and Otoribashi deploy and stand guard over the north, south, east and west Rukongai districts. As soon as enemies as encountered, inform the 10th Division by hell butterfly. The 4th Division is to standby and provide medical assistance wherever needed. That is all. Captains Matsumura and Hikifune, go assemble your teams and set out as soon as possible. I expect results. Don't fail me now. Dismissed."

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"So...we're working together again, Shiro-kun. That always makes me so excited." Matsumura frowned at Hikifune, the white haired captain clinging to his arm as they walked along the riverbanks on their way back to their Division headquarters. It'd been a while since they could just spend time together like this with their duties but they tried to grab all these moments when they could. Her head was rested against his shoulder, as she often did when they were alone, like how they did when they were younger.

"I don't think now's the time for this, Kirio-chan. The old man gave us a job to do." Black clad guards opened the doors to the 10th Division compound as the two came up the road, passing under the gatehouse and into the main courtyard. He tried to gently shake Hikifune off as eyes started staring at them but she continued to hold on, pressing herself firmly to his side. Division members milling around began to slow down, whispering very unsubtlely behind their hands.

Knowing the 10th Division, the story of two captains fraternising would rapidly spread around the Gotei 13 within hours, built up into a sordid smut story by the third hand accounts. He slapped his free hand to his forehead in exasperation. "Let's get inside already. You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"

A quickened pace brought them into the nearest building, the training dojo, Matsumura quickly slamming the door closed behind them. He barely had time to turn before she pounced, tackling him against the wall in an instant and pressing her lips to his. Her fingers ran through his hair and clutched at the back of his neck. A moment and she pulled back. She frowned slightly, pouting at his initial reluctance. "Come on, Shiro-kun. No one's watching now and we have such little time when we have an excuse to be together like this. It's not like we're going to be attacked at any second."

"Yeah...I guess you're right." Her hands gripped the front of his haori, pulling him against her again. He leaned down again to kiss her when a shadow fell across him, this time a small, speeding object flying through the air towards him. 'Urgh...not again.' Matsumura managed to raise a hand in time to ward off a kick as a shihakusho-clad figure bounced off his arm, flipped in the air and landed on the other side.

"Hands off my captain, Shiro Matsumura!" The short figure of Hiyori Sarugaki, lieutenant of the 12th Division and probably the most annoying senior officer in the Gotei 13 stood there glaring at him, fists raised and shaking as Hikifune made to calm her lieutenant down. It proved to be unnecessary as Mikihara came out of the side room, cracking her over the head with her shinai. "Speak to Captain Matsumura with more respect, you snaggle-toothed brat."

"Why don't you come and make me, you hussy tart!" Sarugaki spun around to face the other lieutenant, snarling with balled fists as the taller of the two waved her shinai threateningly again. The lieutenants stood, facing off against each other as they seemed to end up doing every time they met, often disrupting their captains. With a bound, Sarugaki lunged at Mikihara, tackling her into the next room, accompanied by the sound of wood cracking repeatedly against someone's skull.

Hikifune sighed wearily, resting her head against Matsumura's chest. "Oh well...so much for that. Should we get down to some work then, Shiro-kun?"

"Yeah...let's do that." Leaving the two fighting lieutenants to their business, they made their way to the 10th Division meeting room, reluctantly reverting to their roles as division captains, calling their senior officers together so they could get down to preparing their teams and track down what could potentially be the biggest threat seen in Soul Society for a while.


	4. Investigation

"Alright… Kiyoshi will lead Squad Alpha. Keisuke…" Matsumura threw his empty teacup at the sleeping 5th Seat, cracking him on the head and bringing him back to consciousness, looking around in surprise. "Keisuke, you'll be taking Squad Beta and serve as rear guard in the event we need to pull back at all. Rei-chan…you and Yu-chan will be standing by back at headquarters and so it'll be your responsibility to keep the Division running in my absence and protecting the younger ones in the event of an attack."

"I'm counting on you to guard those who can't do it for themselves yet." His lieutenant nodded, the firelight illuminating her thoughtful features as she gazed into the burning logs in the centre of the meeting room. Next to her, Kosaka waved her acknowledgement as well. They had always been a pair. While Rei was the quiet and composed, the other was a raging storm of emotion, expressing what the former usually kept to herself. And of course, in battle, they made a ferocious duo, steadfast loyal to each other and vicious with their zanpakuto.

"All of you start preparing immediately and be ready to go at a moment's notice. These Hollows could appear at any time so switch to hourly sleeping shifts until I say otherwise. Now move it. You're dismissed." The four of his inner circle rose and hurried off, hastening to carry out their orders. When they were gone, Matsumura stood alone, staring blankly out of the open door.

It was coming to dusk now, the orange sun setting slowly over Soul Society. Hikifune had returned to her own division headquarters to prepare her own people for the mission ahead. She and Matsumura had parted ways with a quick embrace before she'd hurried off in pursuit of her sulking lieutenant. He'd watched her do, disappearing into the darkness, silently kicking himself for his earlier hesitation when they'd kissed. After a hundred or more years and he was still a child when it came to females.

When this mission was over, he'd sort it all out. He knew how she felt about him, the same feelings he felt for her for so many years. But he couldn't think of that now. He had his assignment and it had come from the old man himself. Yeah…he'd save it for after the mission was done. Whenever that was…

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_A week later..._

Blood splattered the streets of the district 18 in North Rukongai. The decapitated bodies of two shinigami collapsed to the earth as the Hollow that had killed them licked its claws before stamping down and crushing their remains into the mud. Running footsteps came from behind as two more lunged at it, swinging their zanpakuto at its exposed back. Metal rang as their blades rebounded off its skin, not even leaving an impression where they'd struck. A backhand shattered their bones, broken bags of flesh and organs falling hard on the ground. The bipedal almost human-shaped Hollows advanced into the shinigami, bloodlust far from sated.

Screams and cries filled the night air as the four night patrolling squads of the 5th Division were assaulted on all sides by Hollows that seemed to materialise out of the night. A score or more were already dead, killed before they could even react to the new threat, many others attempting to fight back but finding their zanpakuto unable to even cut the flesh of the Hollows. One by one, they were slaughtered as they fell back in a tight ring, attempting to protect each other's backs as they retreated. The messenger worked furiously, trying to rely as much information to the hell butterfly in her hands and throwing it into the air just as a scything claw lashed out and ripping out a large part of her abdomen. Carried off into the night winds, the hell butterfly disappeared, heading for the headquarters of the 10th Division. As she died, the messenger found a figure standing before her, not another Hollow but a man. "You? Why…?" Then she died.

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Cold wind rippled around him as Matsumura ran across the rooftops of North Rukongai, Maeda and Nakamura with their chosen squads in hot pursuit. The moment word had arrived from the devastated 5th Division troops, he had gathered his team and headed out without delay. He had a feeling that it was a long time too late for the ones who'd sent the message but he might still be in time to catch the Hollows responsible. Another few shadowy figures came bounding across the adjacent buildings to them, the lead figure's long hair fluttering out behind her like a banner, flashing silver in the moonlight.

"You got the message too then?" Hikifune nodded, drawing level with him. "We have to hurry. A 4th Division medical squad was dispatched at news of the first casualties and they might be caught up by the Hollows without realising they're walking into a trap."

"There…" Matsumura's enhanced sight picked out the dots of reiatsu of the medical team below. They seemed to be fine…until one's presence suddenly winked out so fast he had to confirm it had been there in the first place. 'Hollows…' They had been laying a trap after all. The disgust at their deceptive tactics lent speed to his charge as Shiroiken burned white in his hands. The air grew cold around him as he descended on the Hollows, zanpakuto slicing down in a two-handed grip.

The first Hollow, bearing down on a 4th Division medic, looked around just in time to raise its hand to ward off Shiroiken. The blade stopped but even as it made contact, ice began to surge over its arm. With a back swing, Matsumura shattered its arm to pieces and chopped down, at first meeting resistance and then cleaving right through and bisecting the Hollow, its body falling apart. Another Hollow loomed behind him, claws slashing down at him. A swing removed its hands before he lunged forward, palm lashing out to strike it in the face. It had a moment to look surprised before its mask cracked and its body collapsed as the force of his strike channelled through its outer flesh to crush the internal organs.

Overhead, Hikifune swept through the air, zanpakuto clearing the sheath, her perfected battojutsu technique allowing her silver blade to cleave through the air like white lightning. Two hollows in front of her rose their heavily armoured forearms to block, their carapace barely scratched by the blades of the 5th Division. The fastest zanpakuto in Soul Society whistled it death scream. Two heads, their faces obscured by hollow masks flew into the air, parted from their bodies and crunching to the ground, severed arms falling a few seconds later in a pile. She landed next to him, holding her zanpakuto in both hands before her.

"Purge all evil, Tentsuki no Tsuin!" White light flared around the blade, blinding all but Matsumura. The tachi blade lengthened even further and it split down the centre and parted to reveal twin blades side by side stemming from the hilt. In a smooth motion, she stabbed forward, the twin blades shooting forward and spearing through each eye socket of another Hollow's mask, avoiding the resistance of its armoured shell to punch out the back of its head.

The two captains fought back to back, released zanpakuto slashing in glittering webs of light as they carved their way through the Hollows. Matsumura buried his blade in a Hollow's head, using his foot to wrench it free as it became lodged in its skull. He ducked a slash of claws and backslashed their owner as he finally managed to free his weapon. The Hollow continued to thrash around despite the massive cut into its side. With an upward stroke, he used both hands to cleave its skull in half, finally dropping it.

The two squads from the 10th Division hurried to regroup around the two leaders, closing ranks to form a wall of blades. Several troops had been injured, their comrades carrying them back, calling the remaining 4th Division medics to try and keep them alive. Keisuke Nakamura and Kiyoshi Maeda pushed through to Matsumura's side, their released zanpakuto coated in gore and breathing heavily.

The latter seemed to have added to his collection of scars, blood running down his face and torso. Matsumura's 3rd Seat glanced over at him, giving him a weary thumbs up. Well for Kiyoshi, that just meant he wasn't dead yet and his arm was still attached. Keisuke had managed to remove his default look of boredom and replace it with one of slight interest in the battle. It seemed the only time he got more than a little excited was when spying on the lieutenant and Yugito Kosaka in the bathing house.

The small ring of Hollows were holding back for the moment, pacing around in a circle, snarling and making violent gestures towards the shinigami but not approaching. What the hell were they waiting for…? Sure they had suffered greater losses than they had against the 5th Division squads but their enhanced defences and other physical attributes were still something to be very weary of, even for the captains. Then, from deep within the shadows, there came a howl, the roar of a Hollow that made a collective shiver run throughout the majority of the group. At Matsumura's side, he felt Hikifune recoil slightly. Unconsciously, he moved to stand in front of her, his grip on Shiroiken tightening in his gauntlets.

"That's one big Hollow..." Kiyoshi smacked Keisuke over the back of the head for his candid comment as the creature revealed itself, a towering giant, almost a replica of the ones that had given them such trouble...only several times the size. Greater intelligence shone in its yellow eyes as it stared down on the shinigami party. It's footfalls shook the ground beneath them and its crushing spiritual pressure bore the same unusual distortion surrounding the Hollows of the recent attacks. Some of the troops under Matsumura's command collapsed, dropping to their knees or passing out completely. A flash of movement and Hikifune bounded over him, using his shoulder as a springboard to propel herself straight at the giant Hollow, her zanpakuto slashing for its face. 'Damn woman...'

Smaller Hollows lunged forward to intervene, trying to stop her from reaching their leader. Razor-sharp claws reached for her the tails of her haori and a wall of hardened armour blocking her way. She ignored them as they closed in, her eyes focussed on nothing but the Adjuchas class Hollow. Then a hail of ice blades ripped through them, piercing through their flesh and rending them apart. Shiroiken blazed with cold fury in Matsumura's hands as he strode in her wake, slaying any smaller Hollows that dared to approach her. Ice roared all around him in a controlled whirlwind, blasting them away as Hikifune finally reached the leader. The night skies lit up with a flare of white as Tentsuki no Tsuin cleaved through the air.

The Adjuchas roared with pair as a deep gash appeared in its arm, its other fist pistoning forward for her. She caught it on her blade and stopping it dead before flipping in the air to avoid another punch and landing on its outstretched arm. Running down its own limb, she unleashed a stream of attacks, raining blows down on its skull faster than any eyes but his could follow. A dent then a gash, blood running from a crack in its mask. She drove forward, blade stabbing for the gap. Then a fist of armour rose and her strike came short, a forceful punch crashing into her and sending her tumbling from the sky. Hikifune hit the ground, her white hair and captain's haori becoming streaked in dirt and blood. The Hollow raised a massive foot to stamp down on her and grind her into the dirt.

Diving forward, Matsumura rolled and rose to a crouch, his zanpakuto holding up its weight with both hands. Muscles strained in his arms, sweat instantly running down his face as he continued to push down. Keisuke and Kiyoshi suddenly appeared at his side, supporting him as they held up the Adjuchas. Seizing the opportunity, Hikifune rolled to her feet, seizing her zanpakuto and attacking, a flurry of slashes shredding the underside of the Hollow's foot apart and causing it to recoil in pain. Drawing back her fist, she punched upwards with her free hand, her reiatsu surging.

"Hado 73! Sōren Sōkatsui!" Twin tongues of blue flames leapt from her hand, engulfing the Hollow's leg and blasting it backwards away from the shinigami group. With a roar, it fell, attempting to stand on its wounded foot, only for it to collapse beneath it. A ragged cheer rose from the shinigami troops, a rumbling of what could be fear rippling among the Hollows. With twin battle cries, Hikifune and Matsumura bounded high into the air, both zanpakuto stabbing down to finish the Adjuchas off. Razor blades of ice surged through a beam divine white light, bearing down on the Hollow lying immobilised on the ground.

Before the strikes could land, the giant Hollow's armoured shell cracked. From within, a smaller, dark writhing mass of scales and sinew burst out of its host, its greater agility allowing it to leap aside before the force of their zanpakuto annihilated the body completely. Hikifune landed with a curse, slashing at the creature but it slid aside vaulted backwards. Matsumura lunged for the Hollow but one of the minions dived in the way, being bisected but slowing his blade enough for the true Adjuchas to spring away again effortlessly. It flew back and up onto the rooftops. Those same intelligent eyes that had gleamed in the skull of the giant Hollow met the gaze of the two captains. As it turned to flee, Hikifune threw a knife after it, just catching it in the back. Then it was gone.

The remaining Hollows fled, leaving the beaten shinigami to regroup. Kiyoshi began ordering the remaining 10th Division members to begin checking the bodies as more black robed figures dropped in, members of the 12th Division moving in to try and secure the bodies of the Hollows. Hikifune sheathed her zanpakuto, walking over to Matsumura. She tossed a device to him, which he caught in a gloved fist; a scanner, a radar with a dot slowly moving away in the direction of the Hollow's flight. "Alright...I'm heading back to HQ, Shiro-kun. You can handle catching up with that creature and bring it back for me?"

"I'll have it wrapped and packaged for you when I get back, Kirio-chan. Trust me." He indicated the tracking device in his hand, sheathing Shiroiken across his back. Kiyoshi and Keisuke finished up their duties and stood waiting for the orders to move out. Matsumura made to leave, hesitated and looked back over at Hikifune. "Kirio...I have a feeling this is just the tip of something a whole lot bigger. If I don't come back from this..."

"Shiro-kun. What are you...?"

He pulled her close and kissed her firmly on the lips before turning on his heel and marching off, his two officers falling into step behind him. Within moments, the three disappeared into the dark, leaving Captain Hikifune and her team to deal with the bodies. She gazed after him, fingers running across her lips, still feeling the warmth from Matsumura's touch. Footsteps behind her made her snap out of her thoughts. She looked around to find her 3rd Seated officer waiting for her orders, the Hollows' bodies prepared for transport. "Alright people, get these back to the HQ. Move out."

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"What'd you think's...going on...?"

"Shouldn't you focus on running your feet rather than your mouth, Rangiku-chan?" Mikihara looked over at her, wearing that same grin she had on her face when she'd woken the young recruit up in the middle of the night with a bucket of water. Her wet shihakusho still clung to her body as she worked her muscles furiously to try and keep up with the lieutenant, who was cruising along without any effort.

As part of her training, the older woman would grab her at completely random points and drag her on a run around the Seireitei, moving from the 11th, 12th to 13th, Division compounds and so on until they got back to the 10th. So far, she'd never been pulled from the comfort of her bed in the middle of the night before. As they were leaving, they had caught the brief glimpse of Captain Matsumura heading out with teams of heavily armed shinigami in tow. They had yet to reappear as far as she was aware.

The two of them normally ran alone but this night, the third figure of 4th Seated officer, Yugito Kosaka, accompanied them, mentioning something vaguely about being unable to sleep. The two older women had exchanged a swift glance before heading out. Both carried their zanpakuto and Mikihara had insisted Rangiku carry her own too, even though it made her running just a bit harder. She got the feeling the two women knew something, using their special senior officer senses, though not telling her about it. Well whatever it was, being with the two strongest women in the 10th Division should be more than enough protection from anything that would attack right in the middle of the Seireitei.

They were just rounding the corner near the 12th Division compound when Mikihara suddenly slowed to a jog and then stopping completely. She started glancing around, back and forth with a troubled expression on her face. Her hand rested on the zanpakuto at her side, thumb sliding the blade from its sheath. Her easy attitude was suddenly replaced by an air of tension. Rangiku looked up at her, confused. At her side, 4th Seat Kosaka had drawn her zanpakuto too. "Lieutenant, what...?"

Mikihara suddenly tackled her aside as a blaze of fire engulfed the spot where they had been standing. Rangiku felt the lieutenant lying on top of her, shielding her from the sudden attacks. Then Mikihara bounded up as a Hollow appeared on skeletal wings, its mask shaped in the form of a bird's skull. It opened its mouth and another gout of red flames descended on the two. 'Was that...kidou they were using?' The older woman raised her hands, her own spell forming on her lips. "Hado 31! Shakkahō!"

Red flames met red flames in the air, Rangiku covering her head with her hands to stop being scorched by the sudden intense build up of heat. When she looked up, Lieutenant Mikihara was standing tall over her, zanpakuto drawn and the Hollow cleaved in half at her feet. She reached down to pull Rangiku back to her feet, eyes roving the night skies for further attacks. When the lieutenant turned to face her, there was a fire burning in her eyes that she'd never seen before, a hard battle fury that seemed completely alien on her normally cheerful face. Flames seemed to dance along the length of her zanpakuto blade, a reflection of those starting to rise from behind them.

As if on queue, more Hollows appeared, dropping out of the night skies to unleash a storm of blue and red flames into the courtyard of the 12th Division. The guards on duty came rushing out only to be engulfed in the fire and drop screaming from their posts. An alarm began to sound, rousing the troops. The longer the alarm rang, the more Hollow began dropping down and assaulting the shinigami as they emerged from their barracks.

"Shit... Let's get out of here, Rangiku. I have to get you to safety." Mikihara seized the recruit's hand and began to run back to the 10th Division compound, Kosaka still guarding their rear. They'd taken a few paces when suddenly more Hollows materialised from beyond the gateway, blocking their escape. The lieutenant pushed Rangiku behind her again as they began to back up into the slightly more safe territory of the 12th Division courtyard and the support of the other shinigami. Mikihara's zanpakuto flashed, slaying two Hollows as they approached and pushing onwards into the rapidly escalating conflict. She kept Rangiku held close to her as the girl clung to her shihakusho. "Stick close to me. Yu...keep them off our backs."

"They're heading for the vaults! Stop them, you lazy morons!" The small form of Lieutenant Sarugaki burst from fray, kicking a Hollow aside and stabbing it with her zanpakuto. Having caught sight of the three, she ran over and coming up short, pointing an accusing finger at her opposite number. "What the hell are you doing here, hussy girl? We have bigger problems here than entertaining members of the 10th Division. Either get out of base or help us clear out these Hollow bastards already. You and that brat you brought along."

"You're more of a brat than her, rodent squirt. Alright...let's do this. Yu...look after Rangiku." Rangiku drew her zanpakuto and the four females closed up in a ring facing outwards, blades raised. At her side, the recruit felt the reiatsu building up within her lieutenant and instructor. Kosaka seized her by the front of her robes and forcibly pulled Rangiku behind her. Curiosity getting the better of her, the recruit peered out from behind the 4th Seat to watch Mikihara release her zanpakuto.

Silhouetted against the burning division buildings, Rangiku saw Mikihara with her back to them, facing off against a ring of Hollows, towering over and surrounding her on all sides. Flames seemed to roll off the Lieutenant, intense enough to match the flames issuing from the mouths of the Hollows approaching them. The ground began to shake and the pavements cracked underfoot. Lieutenant Mikihara raised her zanpakuto to her forehead, eyes closing to focus her spiritual energy into her zanpakuto release. When the older woman looked back momentarily at them, Rangiku had to suppress her recoil at the sight; the image of her pupils turning blood red and an inferno reaching its peak behind them. "Reduce the world to ashes... Akaitenshi!"

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"They managed to attack here at the same time while we were out? How did this happen...?"

Dawn mist was still handing over the 12th Division HQ as Captain Hikifune returned to the HQ with her retinue and captured Hollow remains. To the young recruit, squatting outside the main headquarters next to Kosaka, the 12th Division captain looked very weary, her pure white hair and haori dirtied. The bad news that had greeted her when she got back hadn't improved her look. She had nodded briefly to the two before entering the main facility where the new Hollow investigations were meant to take place. There wasn't much left of it now. The midnight Hollow infiltration and ambush had seen to that. It had been a number of hours before the Hollows had finally been driven off.

Rangiku followed in her wake, Kosaka sticking close by per Mikihara's orders. They passed through devastated laboratories, what looked like very important equipment completely destroyed. Past several rooms, they came to a vast pair of armoured doors standing wide open. Several thick bolts were drawn back rather than forced open. Lieutenants Mikihara and Sarugaki were waiting for them there, arms folded and refusing to either look up at the approaching captain or into the darkness of the vault.

The 10th Division lieutenant hadn't spoken to Rangiku since the Hollow attack and managed to brush her off into the other 10th officer's care, under the pretence of helping out the clean up and reorganisation of the 12th Division. Thinking back to the battle several hours before still made the recruit shiver. The transformation that had come over the gentle and caring lieutenant, the blur of burning destruction that had she had wrought, eyes afire and blood red were still imprinted freshly in her mind. Even when the flames had died down and the fighting had ended, the killing aura that had surrounded Rei Mikihara had been intense enough to almost physically stop Rangiku from approaching her.

"So…the vault was opened, Hiyori? The locks weren't broken apart?" Her lieutenant nodded, her usual sulky mood replaced by one of seriousness. Hikifune walked inside, the dim light filtering inside revealing an empty room. Whatever had been in there was now gone. When the captain emerged, she looked far more troubled than Rangiku had seen her up to that point. She turned to Mikihara, the latter still avoiding the eyes of those around her. "Only me…and Shiro-kun knew how to open that vault. It was a secret devised between the two of us. We didn't share with anyone, assembling it without anyone's assistance. What does this…mean? He couldn't have…"

"Captain." A runner came in, hurrying over to the group and snapping a salute. "The 10th Division teams have just returned with the 4th Division members they rescued. Their captain isn't with them, nor are their 3rd and 5th Seated officers. According to their reports, they kept going northwards in pursuit of the Adjuchas. No contact has been heard from them since."

"Thank you… You can go." Hikifune's voice was small as she turned her back on the departing messenger. She looked from Hiyori to Mikihara, then Kosaka before finally coming to rest on Rangiku herself. The recruit resisted the urge to shrink back under the distant stare. At least, the captain spoke, struggling to keep her voice steady. "Alright. Hiyori…carry on with cleaning up this place. Rei…come with me. We have to go report to Yamamoto. About this attack…and that the prototype has been stolen."


	5. Deception

_Two weeks later..._

The two women stood in the open courtyard, stripped down to light training clothes, white material rippling around their bodies as they took identical stances, legs set into the 70-30 balance and L-shape with left feet extended. Their left arms were held out in a halting gesture, right hands balled into fists down by their waists. Their eyes were closed and their long dark hair fluttered out behind them as the wind blew through the grounds of the 10th Division compound. Even their chests rose and fell in synchrony. A heartbeat…then Rei Mikihara and Yugito Kosaka moved, right hands stabbing forward before rotating to the right, arms moving up into a guard position.

From the barrack doors, sitting on the steps leading down into the courtyard, Rangiku sat and watched the lieutenant and 4th Seated officer as they went through a sequence of motions, hand strikes, kicks and blocks, each perfectly coordinated, flawlessly executed. Their motions seemed to flow like water but each one was delivered with what the recruit reckoned had enough force to shatter stone. Every morning, the two women would be up early, carrying out the exact same movements but it was only this day when Rangiku was out of bed early enough to see them start. Sometimes other Division members were present, going through the same motions but failing to achieve the same grace and elegance as the two before her.

"Enjoying the show?" Rangiku almost jumped out of her skin as the voice spoke in her ear, a gentle but commanding one. She looked around to find the figure of Captain Hikifune standing behind her, leaning down to speak to her. The captain turned her head to look at her, a weary smile on her face. Up close, Rangiku could see that she really was a beautiful, young-looking woman, though tinged with a sense of sadness. Hikifune took a seat on the steps next to her, watching the two women training. The captain and recruit watched quietly for several moments before the latter broke the silence, hesitating a moment to get over being in the presence of such a senior officer. "What are they doing, captain? They do it every day without fail. Is it a special fighting style or something?"

"The Fist of Salvation... Shiro-kun named it since he created it." Hikifune looked reminiscent as she spoke, watching the two women in action. "Up until recently, shinigami of the Gotei 13 learned standard hakuda and only a few actually went on to train in more advanced arts. Nearly the only ones to bother are the 2nd Division, and their skills are channeled into the techniques of the Special Forces; the Fist of Destruction. Shiro-kun was never any good at healing...but some of Unohana-sensei's teachings did manage to filter through and so he developed his own style, aimed at saving the enemy from their own darkness through purification rather than their utter destruction"

"All of the 10th Division look up to Shiro-kun, but only those of his inner circle really know him as a person. Both of those two girls, Rei and Yugito...I reckon he made the biggest impact on them. Rei wears that red mark through her left eye in imitation of Shiro-kun's scar despite the others saying she looked...well, silly with it. But yes...he taught his own technique to his closest followers and now that he's gone missing, practicing it somehow allows them to continue to feel his presence around. That's why they're so focused, so concentrated on perfecting it. Considering the unrest that's going on at the moment, it also brings a measure of calm to them. Rei needs it especially..."

"I assume you saw her release her shikai last night. The first time anyone sees it, it's enough to shake them, especially a recruit like yourself. That sounds about right, doesn't it?" Rangiku nodded. The memory of Mikihara wreathed in flames and seemingly taking on the image of battle incarnate kept returning to her mind when she thought back on the night. It made her shiver. The white-haired captain placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. "Don't be hard on Rei. Her zanpakuto bears a fiery female spirit and it's a constant struggle for her to contain it when she has to fight. Unleashing it is a last resort for her, surrendering to a destructive lust within herself. For a gentle spirit such as her, it's...difficult. It's why she didn't want you to see how she goes when she has to fight seriously."

The captain stopped speaking and the two observers continued to sit in silence. Rangiku watched, entranced by the scene before her, the two beautiful young women going through the almost dance-like motions. An hour passed over an eternity until finally they came to a stop simultaneously, sliding back to the standing position and relaxing. They turned around, eyes opening to look up at where the captain and recruit were sitting. Mikihara's eyes were back to the soft dark brown Rangiku was used to, the memory of fire and blood in them fading. She tried a weak smile, which Rangiku made sure to return. In light of the new information, she felt bad for having shown fear in the wake of the lieutenant's battle charge that had ended up saving all their lives. Mikihara and Kosaka walked up the steps to where they sat, saluted to Hikifune and took seats alongside the two, toweling sweat from their faces and returning to resting state steadily.

"Captain Hikifune." Mikihara took a drink of water before addressing the senior ranking woman. "What news is there from the 1st Division? Any word from Shi...Captain Matsumura?"

The captain shook her head. "No one's heard from Shiro-kun in a long while now. No reports back, no anything... And the old man has the 1st and 5th Divisions investigating at the moment. I get the impression trust is...not so strong with the 10th and 12th right now. It's bad enough having to deal with that pretentious Lieutenant Sasakibe and that lazy whiner, Shinji-kun. At least his lieutenant, Sousuke Aizen is a rather charming and polite person. Taking the investigation seriously for certain... And Yoruichi-san and the 2nd Division are still out looking for traces of Shiro-kun and the Hollows. She hasn't disappointed us before..."

"So anyway...all our work is suspended for the time being...despite how important the old man made our investigation out to be. I think Jushiro-kun's taking a hand in it too. If not for that, I think I would've gone crazy already. Kicking around the headquarters without anything to do is...well it's slightly frustrating when I know Shiro-kun is out...doing work." Hikifune looked contemplative again, staring off into the distance, identical to Mikihara. Rangiku followed their gaze, trying to see if there was something there before realising they were just in deep thought again. They seemed to spend a lot of time in deep thought. She didn't intend to be so stuffy when she grew up...maybe a bit more fun or wild.

"Can you tell us at all about what was stolen, Captain?" Kosaka spoke up from the other side of Rangiku, asking the question that had been playing on the minds of the others over the past few days. "You know...if it's not revealing too much, of course."

"Err...well the old man wanted it to be secret but without any actual details it's not really harmful. Still...let's step inside a moment." Hikifune sighed before standing and leading the others into the meeting room, Rangiku dutifully sliding the door shut behind her and sealing it. The four took their seats in a circle around the central table. The 10th Division members waited in silence as the captain cleared her throat and started to explain.

"It was a project assigned to the 12th Division several months ago. The old man wanted us to try and devise a way of alternating a being's spiritual composition with the primary aim of turning Hollows back to human by weakening the division between the different forms. Well, without having to slay them with zanpakuto and force them back into the life cycle, casting Hollows from Soul Society back to the real world and vice versa…"

"I don't know why the old man'd want something like that but it was his orders and so we followed our orders. Either way, we'd made a prototype though it was still a long way from being completed."

The four sat pondering that in silence, each caught up in their own personal ideas of what the Captain-Commander might want with such a tool before Hikifune spoke up, breaking their musings with the current problem with the whole situation.

"But now it's stolen... And the potential it could have in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing; the ability to change a being's form... It's a frightening prospect, which is why it was sealed away in our strongest vault and why the old man is taking this investigation so seriously... I don't know of anyone else who could be aware of this technology with enough knowledge to actually utilise it properly…"

More silence. Rangiku found herself thinking of the few members of Gotei 13 she knew who might have the training to pull off something like that and found none of them were applicable. She looked between the women seated around her but found no readable expressions on their faces. They looked to Hikifune again but she just shrugged.

"Oh well...I just stopped by to see how you were holding together over at the 10th, Rei-chan. I should probably be heading back soon. I ordered Hiyori to look after the headquarters until I got back but I can't even give her the task of cleaning up. Apparently it's all evidence or something and we have to leave it until the 1st and 5th say we can clean up. So yes...she'll be going insane and sulking. Maybe I'll bring her some ice cream or something from the 10th. You don't mind, do you, Rei?"

"No, go ahead, Captain." Hikifune rose, sliding the door open and starting off across the training ground. A slightly lighter expression reached Mikihara's face as she waved to the departing captain. "Thanks for stopping by and keep me informed, alright?"

"Of course, Rei-chan. Whatever you want." She waved a careless hand in goodbye, marching off through the compound doors and disappearing off into the distance, haori billowing out behind her until it whipped out of sight. Kosaka murmured something about heading to the female officer's quarters to shower and get changed into her shihakusho before getting up to leave too, leaving just Rangiku alone with the lieutenant.

"Rangiku, I..." Mikihara hesitated for a moment before going on, "I'm sorry about that night. I didn't want to scare you like that but if I didn't do what I did, well...I didn't feel like leaving it to the 12th Division to get us all out of there safely."

The young recruit shook her head quickly. "No... I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I was acting silly to be well...afraid of you. Nevermind..."

"Well alright then." The lieutenant flashed her a grin, cheered now that the distance that had developed over the past few weeks had been sealed up. She got to her feet, waiting for Rangiku to do likewise. "Come on. Let's get down to training. The captain's orders for me to train you still stand and I've got to keep everything running like normal in his absence. Meet me back at the dojo in ten minutes while I get changed and all. See you then, Rangiku-chan!"

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"You took yer time getting back here, Captain Hikifune. I thought someone like you'd want to oversee this investigation in person." The lazy drawl of Shinji Hirako came from behind her, Hikifune turning to find the 5th Division captain sitting on top of an overturned refrigeration unit, looking bored much as he always did, resting his chin on his hands. "If it were my Division being looked into, I'd…"

There was a black blur and a crash as the small figure of Sarugaki came flying across the room, smashing Hirako tumbling from his perch with a two-footed kick and dumping him upside down on the floor. He immediately leapt to his feet, clutching his bleeding nose and shouting a tirade of insults at the short lieutenant while the latter was screaming something about speaking with more respect to her captain, waving her sandal threateningly in one hand. Hikifune sighed before placing a hand on her lieutenant's shoulder, making her fall silent though still fuming. "That's enough, Hiyori. And thank you...for your concern, Captain Hirako. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a Division to...sort out."

"You shoulda let me take him, Captain!"

"Maybe another time, Hiyori dear... We have...well we should have more important things to do." Hikifune steered her lieutenant off down the corridor, back out of the research building and walking into her division's officers' quarters. The majority of the compound had been locked down by the investigation team or blown up by the Hollows. "So how are things going back here, lieutenant? Have they found anything yet?"

"Nothing except that Shinji's more a dickhead than I thought. Actually no, I knew he was this much a dickh..." Sarugaki noticed Hikifune's slight frown at her language and stopped short. She seemed to think for a moment before continuing. "Well...that guy Sousuke's been prodding around, as has that Sasakibe prat. They've been examining the vault especially, reviewin' documents and the surveillance equipment the Hollows didn't blow up when they attacked."

Hikifune led the way to her room and sat on her bed, gesturing for her lieutenant to sit down next to her. "They find anything?"

Sarugaki pondered for a moment, "Well they keep sendin' runners back to Captain Yamamoto and various things. Aizen has been spendin' a lot of time in the vault, inspectin' things. But I figure if they found anything' major, they'd make a big scene."

"Yeah...you're probably right... The 1st Division does love to make a scene..."

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It was a quiet night in the 10th Division compound. Leaving her lieutenant to sleep back at the 12th Division's barracks, Captain Hikifune had come back to see the senior officers, sitting around the fire in the meeting room. Rangiku had curled up asleep by the fire, unconsciously playing with the pink scarf Mikihara had given her after they'd met up again at the training room. The lieutenant sat behind her, prodding at the fire absentmindedly with a poker while Yugito Kosaka passed the tea around to the other women. It seemed to be a calm enough evening, much like how they'd spent the last few days without the guys around.

Several loud bangs sounded against the front gates. Angry raised shouts were heard, ordering them to be opened immediately. The night guards at the gates hurried to see who had turned up, the other members of the Division stumbling out of the barracks and spilling into the courtyard, pulling on shihakusho. The gates burst open just as Hikifune and Mikihara emerged from the meeting room, Rangiku and Kosaka hurrying in their wake. Accompanied by a mass of other shinigami, including a large number of seated officers, Lieutenant Sasakibe ignored the stares as he marched up to the two Division commanders and produced a rolled up makimono and began to read from it in a loud voice so the entire division could hear him.

"Captain Hikifune and Lieutenant Mikihara. By order of Captain-Commander Yamamoto-Genryūsai, the 10th and 12th Divisions are to be placed under house-arrest and the commanders to be kept under armed escort by officers of equal rank. You and all your subordinates are to surrender your zanpakuto and submit yourself to processing."

There was silence for a moment as the gravity of the lieutenant's statement sank in. Mikihara made to speak but Hikifune held up a hand to stop her before turning to address him. "This is not an amusing joke, Lieutenant Sasakibe. What is the meaning of this? You better have a damn good reason with you if you want to take our zanpakuto, 'Lieutenant'."

The 1st Lieutenant looked unruffled as he replied, staring back at the captain without flinching before her chilling glare. "Eyewitness and visual footage has been found of 10th Captain Matsumura's covert return to the Seireitei and involvement in the theft of the research prototype."

"You lying bastard!" Mikihara's reiatsu seemed to explode with rage as she started towards the man only to have Hikifune forcefully grab her and hold her back. "How dare you say such things about the captain, like that?"

"Keep control of yourself, Lieutenant Mikihara. The evidence, written statements and visual footage can be found in this..." He threw a package to Mikihara, which she caught, still being restrained by the captain. Calmly, the 1st Lieutenant turned his attention back to Hikifune again. "12th Captain Hikifune, your negligence in allowing Captain Matsumura access to the 12th Division's high security vault and allowing this theft to take place are already serious crimes. Whether you were complicit in it has yet to be found. Your cooperation now might cause the Captain-Commander to look slightly more favourably on your case. And if you don't wish to come quietly..."

"Sensei...?!"

Hikifune could barely suppress her gasp of shock as two figures materialised from among the massed ranks of black clad shinigami, flashes of white and the whipping of captains' haori. 4th Captain Unohana and 6th Captain Kuchiki appeared before her, hands clasped before them and heads lowered as if unable to meet her gaze out of distaste. Spiritual pressure flowed freely from them, causing the 10th Division members to shrink back. Rangiku found herself shuddering violently, a cold sweat breaking across her brow as she clutched at Kosaka's hand, disconcerted to find the 4th Seated officer's hand shaking too. At the front of the group, Hikifune and Mikihara drew their zanpakuto...before holding them out in two hands for 1st Division members to come forward and take them. Following their lead, the other 10th Division members also began to hand over their sheathed blades reluctantly but complying with their lieutenant's unspoken orders.

"We'll escort you back to your own Division now, Captain Hikifune." She nodded slowly, allowing herself to be led away by the arresting mob. She glanced back momentarily to exchange a seemingly meaningful look with Mikihara before disappearing. Then the crowd departed, leaving the still waking shinigami to start muttering among themselves in worried tones. Several hurried over to where Lieutenant Mikihara stood, still frozen in place, staring after where the 12th Division captain had left.

"Lieutenant Mikihara! What the hell is going on? What they said about the captain..."

She shook her head, a lost expression on her face. When she spoke, her voice shook, lacking in her normal inspiration and confidence. "I don't know... Return to your barracks for now. I'll issue new orders in the morning. Until then, stay in the compound and don't cause any trouble."

The 10th Division members slowly made their way back to their barracks, still muttering amongst themselves. Kosaka placed a steadying hand on Mikihara's shoulder. "Rei-chan... You know the captain would never do any of this. There's got to be some reason for..."

"Yu...I know. I...know." She held up a hand to forestall anything more from the 4th Seat, still not looking at them. "But you heard my orders. Return to the barracks and stay there for now. And take Rangiku with you. I have to...think. On my own for now."

Kosaka made as if to try again but then thought better of it, taking Rangiku's hand and leading her back to the recruit's dormitories, leaving Lieutenant Mikihara standing alone in the darkness of the courtyard, not looking back as she sank to her knees, head resting in a hand, whisper carried on the night wind.

"Shiro...kun."

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"It's done then?"

"Of course." A tall man wearing a strip of cloth over his eyes and a white captain's haori marked with the symbol of the 10th Division leaned against the wall in the shadow of a Rukongai shack. The face of Captain Matsumura grinned widely. "Charging off to the source of the enhanced Hollows and now the Gotei 13 trying to kill him too? I have a feeling that Shiro Matsumura's time in Soul Society will be coming to an end very soon."

"Perfect... And have you got the prototype for me?"

The captain tossed a small object to another man wearing a black shihakusho. The other man gave a smirk of his own, examining the glint of the item in the moonlight before pocketing it. He turned and started off, heading back towards the Seireitei. "Thank you...Captain Matsumura. Now head up north. You're needed up there. I'm sure you can come up with something...interesting."

The captain gave an ironic salute before turning on his heel and walking out into the streets again, body rippling as it morphed to take on the appearance of a simple Rukongai inhabitant, strolling off and whistling absent mindedly, heading upwards to see what other betrayal Captain Shiro Matsumura could pull off before the Gotei 13 caught up with him.

********

'_Writer's note: For those of you who would claim the Hogyoku was the created by Urahara, this is the prototype of the device, which I'm hoping explaining how Aizen was carrying out his experiments before he retrieves it from Rukia 100 years later. As for it being the concept of Urahara's, the intention behind his device was different, that of enhancing a shinigami's potential power, using Hikifune's prototype as a source of information. ^^_


	6. An Old Friend

"Don't even say it…"

"I wasn't going to say anything about this being an entirely futile and fruitless pursuit." Nakamura sat down on an overturned bucket, leaning back against the nearest building in the North Rukongai streets. Maeda folded his arms with a frown, stepping over and kicking his makeshift seat out from under him, dumping the 5th Seat onto the ground. "Stop being so lazy, Keisuke. This is an important task given to us by Captain Yamamoto, right…Captain?"

"Err…yeah." Matsumura gave a heavy sigh, leaning his own back against the Rukongai house. It'd been far longer than they'd expected to be out trying to capture the Adjuchas but up until that point, it had managed to evade their every effort to even catch sight of it. The dot on their scanner had continued to jump back and forth, speeding away just as they were almost on top of it. And then it had vanished just as they arrived in the North Rukongai district. "Yes…our mission is highly important and we have to track this thing down, chop its head off and then we can head back."

"Just can't wait for that…" Nakamura gave a musing sigh and looked wistful for a moment before Maeda smacked him around the back of the head again. Matsumura left his third in command to lecture the other man about the evils and risks of continuing to spy on the female officers when something caught his sixth sense and he held up a hand for them to both shut up. The three froze, tensing up as they realised they were being watched. Silence…and then the rooftops were suddenly lined with black clad figures, not wearing the shihakusho of the Gotei 13 but the form fitting uniforms of the Punishment Division of the Special Forces. Naked blades were held ready in their hands. He counted thirty of them.

Matsumura raised an eyebrow at the sight of their leader dropping down and approaching, reaching for what seemed to be a zanpakutou worn horizontally across the back of her waist. He sensed his two officers subtly moving up behind him, standing at ease but ready to act in a second. "So…for what reason do we owe the pleasure of being visited by the Special Forces today?"

"Don't pretend you don't know, Captain Matsumura. You and your officers are under arrest. You are to surrender your zanpakutou and be taken into custody, awaiting the judgment of the Captain-Commander."

"Excuse me…?" That surprised him. He hadn't had much experience with the Special Forces other than that they were under the command of his former apprentice. He frowned, crossing his arms. "Unfortunately, I'm in the middle of an investigation on the orders of the Captain-Commander. I don't know what the hell you're talking about but I don't have time to be…arrested here."

"You continue to deny your involvement in the 12th Division break in?" The lead figure drew her zanpakutou, holding it ready in her hands, point raised at eye level. "If you don't surrender right now, we will use force to bring you in."

"I told you already…I don't know what the hell you're talking about but if you think to use force to 'bring us in', we will defend ourselves. Where's your commander, Lady Yoruichi? I don't reckon she sanctioned you to go as far as that. Let me speak with her and we'll sort this out." Matsumura had a bad feeling about this. His former apprentice's bodyguard, Soifon, for that's who he was sure was standing before him, , was not one known for her diplomacy or patience.

"Lady Yoruichi doesn't need to listen to the filthy words of a traitor. If you won't submit then there's nothing more to say." Soifon charged, the other Special Forces operatives raising their weapons and descending on the three shinigami. Maeda and Nakamura drew their own zanpakutou, blades flashing and ringing as they met the charge head on. Black blurs seemed to surround them as the operatives began to use shunpo to try and find an opening in their defenses.

Soifon leapt through the fray, her zanpakutou slashing down for Matsumura. He stood his ground, waiting for the last moment before stepping in and stopping her strike dead, left hand catching her blade at the hilt and sidestepping. His fist closed, trapping her hand to the hilt and wrenching her around full circle, pulling her off her feet. With his free right hand, he drove a fist into her midriff, blasting her backwards to crash through the nearest building wall.

Operatives charged from all sides, coming in hard and fast, blades stabbing and slashing at the captain. Matsumura parried a blade with his right palm, pushing it aside and driving the same arm forward to strike the man in the chest and hurl him backwards. His right arm slashed across to block another stab and delivered his left palm upwards to the operative's chin, cracking the man's head back, dropping him instantly. The sound of a figure dropping down behind him reached his ears. He looked around, unleashing his spiritual pressure on the woman. She stopped dead in her tracks, shuddering violently before collapsing.

Maeda and Nakamura fought back to back, zanpakutou parrying a flurry of blades as they charged in, struck and then withdrew again to the black whirlwind that sped around them. Three operatives lay collapsed at their feet already unconscious. Two more leapt in simultaneously. Nakamura slapped the first blade aside with the flat of his zanpakutou before smacking his opponent in the face with the hilt. Maeda piled in, kicking the stunned enemy flying and spinning around to meet his own attacker head on, parried the attack aside and punched the operative repeatedly in the face until he collapsed.

That still left another...twenty-odd operatives and this was getting tiresome. Matsumura dropped into his fighting stance. Wind whipped around him and a surge in spiritual pressure made the surrounding operatives halt in their movements, staggering back. Then, as one, they seemed to build up their courage and lunged together, attacking him in one go from all sides. The captain's haori billowed out behind him as even his two officers drew back, stepping aside as they sensed their captain about to unleash one of the advanced techniques of his art. His lips moved, his whisper audible to everyone in the vicinity. "Tenrai Arashi..."

Matsumura didn't seem to move from his place, his feet remaining in the same stance as he struck in all directions with open palms. Time seemed to slow for a moment...then they were blown backwards as if an explosion had gone off. Every one of the operatives that had remained fighting crumbled, snapped blades clattering to the ground next to them. As the dust settled, Matsumura marched over to his two officers, brushing his hands together and frowning slightly.

"Right... This is...not a great situation to be in, I'm getting the feeling. I have no idea what's going on but I reckon I know someone who might be able to shed some light on this...without having to walk all the way back to the Seireitei." Matsumura stretched wide, scratching the back of his head in thought. "Especially if we have a ton of shinigami jumping out at us along the way. So let's go before these guys come around."

A rustle and groan rose from one of the buildings behind them as they made to walk off. They turned to see the figure of Soifon crawl to her feet from under a pile of rubble. Her hand still clutched her zanpakutou, her other hand running down the flat of the blade. "Where...do you think you're...going, Captain Matsumura. Sting all enemies to death...Suzumebachi!"

Her blade suddenly shrank down to a golden needle extending from her right hand finger. With a surprising burst of speed, she lunged for the captain, stabbing forward with it. When she was a metre away, a final burst of flashstep made her become a blur as she drove it into his extended blocking hand. A black butterfly shaped formed upon it. "Two strikes, Captain Matsumura...and you die."

"Hmm...that'd matter...if you got such a chance for a second strike." His fist closed, crushing her hand. As she winced with pain, he drove his open palm across her face, channeling his reiatsu into a blow that rendered her unconscious in a heap at his feet. The captain sighed and turned to walk off, gesturing for his officers to follow. "Alright guys. 'Now' we're done. Let's go."

-----------------------------

"So who the hell is this guy we're going to see anyway?" Nakamura's bored voice sounded from the back of the group. He was hunched over as he walked, zanpakutou across his shoulders and resting his hands on it. Somewhere he'd acquired a blade of straw, which now waggled between his teeth, one of his customary habits.

"Show more respect, Keisuke. We're going to see an old friend of mine. He may be retired now but he'll still smack you on your ass if you give him trouble." The captain led the group through the winding streets, passing by the stray drunk inhabitants before coming to a halt before a large building with a sign hanging over the door, indicating it to be a martial arts training academy.

Two men stood before the entrance, tall and broad. As the captain approached, they straightened to their full height, towering over him, overdeveloped muscles flexing in their bare arms. Looking entirely unimpressed, Matsumura crossed his arms, looking up past them. "Please inform your master that Shiro Matsumura is here and that he requests an audience with him."

"Who the hell do you think you are, blind man? You can't just request an audience with Master Hatake like that without forewarning. Clear off before we run you outta here." The first of them held a meaty hand out to halt him, barring his way. The other one had also stepped forward to back him up, arms folded. Matsumura held up his hand to forestall Maeda moving forward. Nakamura hadn't even bothered to help, looking away and whistling to himself as if he wasn't with them. The captain raised a hand to his eyes and lifted the strip of cloth over his eyes, staring at the two door guards and letting some of his reiatsu flow free. They dropped at his feet, blasted into unconsciousness by his spiritual pressure.

He shrugged, stepping over them and pushing the gates open, followed closely by his officers as they entered into a courtyard where a dozen odd young students were practicing a fighting kata. They turned and started towards the three men when their instructor waved for them to stop. The old man met Matsumura's gaze, seemingly examining him for a moment before smiling. The man's hair was streaked grey and white but he held himself tall and there was still power in his step as he moved in their direction.

"Hey captain. Still running a dojo at your age? Do a wrong turn and you'll dislocate your hip. Then you'll have to call Unohana-sensei to come and have a look at you. Or is that the idea?"

"Long time no see, Shiro-kun. Still as cocky and disrespectful as ever, I see. Follow me." Former 10th Division Captain and his own predecessor, Hajime Hatake walked over to them, catching Matsumura in a comradely embrace before shaking the other two officers' hands.

He led them into his office after signaling for his students to continue training. Closing the door behind him, Hatake took a seat and waved for them to do the same opposite him before speaking. "So…Shiro-kun. I imagine this isn't a social call since you don't really do social. So let's cut to the chase. What'd you need from a retired officer of the Gotei 13?"

"Just information, captain. And using your position as a former Central 46 member." Matsumura pulled his zanpakutou off his back as he sat, placing it in front of him as he regarded his former commanding officer. He related the situation with the recent Hollow activity, the increasing numbers and powers of them and then how Yamamoto had assigned him and Hikifune to investigate this. Then they'd tracked down the Hollows to the Rukongai and had been pursuing the smaller creature since that point.

"And then we just got attacked by the ninja cosplayers and they looked pretty serious in bringing us in. Not all that concerned with us being alive." Matsumura let the information sink in for a bit, waiting in silence for a moment. "So…what'd you think?"

Hatake sat musing to himself before looking over at him. "You're teamed up with Hikifune again, Shiro-kun…? You manned up and asked her out yet or are you still acting like the same little kid who only followed her around like a puppy?"

"Shit, captain. What the hell does that have to do with anything?" The embarrassed surprise reached his face before he could think to stop it as his two officers choked back guffaws at their leader's disposition. "Seriously, captain…this is important. Can you help me out here? Go see some of your old Central 46 contacts and see if you can find out why I'm wanted by the Gotei 13 and what the hell they're accusing me of having stolen?"

"Ha…just winding you up, Shiro-kun. You're too easy and it's been a while since I'd done that." Hatake rose and walked over to him, slapping him on the shoulder. "Alright then. For being such a good lieutenant back in the day, I'll go see what I can find out. There's a tavern around the corner from here. If you wait for me there and come back tonight, I'll see what I have for you then, alright?"

"That'll be fine, captain. I appreciate it." Matsumura got to his feet too, heading for the door. After a final handshake with Hatake, he slid the doors open and walked out into the streets with Maeda and Nakamura following. They made their way through the dusk-lit paths following the direction signs, the captain leading. As they reached the place, Nakamura spoke up from the back of the group. "So...captain. You and Captain Hikifune... You've known her for that long and only just snogged her? Considering how hot she is you two should've already f..."

"Okay...! Your permission to speak has just been revoked, Keisuke." Matsumura spun around, glaring. When the 5th Seated officer just shrugged and began to whistle again, the captain sighed and entered the tavern, slamming the door behind him. "Now go stand in the road on guard duty until the messenger comes from Captain Hatake. With any luck...it'll be pissing down before long."

-----------------------------

_"You're taking it really easy for someone on a mission, Shiro-kun. But then I suppose even you deserve a rest sometime. If resting is what you want to do right now..." _

_Matsumura looked up to find the familiar face of Hikifune inches from his. He started slightly and she grinned at his reaction. She sat on the side of the bed, out of her captain's uniform and clad simply in a white kimino. Shifting her position, she slid a leg over his body, straddling him. Hands resting on his chest, she leaned in close, long white hair hanging down around them both as she brought her face to his again. Her hands were gliding down his chest, fingers parting the front of his shihakusho. Her lips parted slightly as they met his... Her sultry voice was barely above a whisper. "So is this what you've always wanted, Shiro-kun? I didn't know that for so long all you wanted to do was..._

"Captain!"

"...fuck!" Matsumura jerked awake, sitting bolt upright as Maeda burst into the room, zanpakutou already drawn and with a serious look on his face. It was night outside but some great source of illumination cast dancing shadows on the wall behind him. Flames could be seen in the distance, giant black clouds of smoke billowing into the starless skies. It was coming from the direction of the training academy. He turned to his 3rd Seated officer, leaping off the bed and strapping on his zanpakutou. "Kiyoshi, what the hell is going on?"

"It's the academy, captain. It's been attacked and set on fire. We've gotta get there ASAP."

"Move it. Go. Now!" Matsumura and his team raced through the streets, shoving aside fleeing civilians as they made their way back. As they rounded a corner, they skidded to a halt at the gates...or what used to be the gates. They'd been shattered apart by a great force and as they drew near, they saw the two door guards from before lying face down, bloody holes ripped through their torsos. As the shinigami crossed the threshold, one of them stirred, groaning. He looked up and seemed to recoil as he caught sight of Matsumura, expression turning to a mask of bloodstreaked hatred as he tried to reach for a weapon but collapsing. His voice shook violently, coughing up blood. "You... You bastard, you think you can come back here after what you did. I'll kill..."

"Kiyoshi, Keisuke, you two try and find survivors and help them in whatever way you can. I have to find the captain." Matsumura vaulted over the collapsed guard and raced inside. The courtyard that he'd seen students training in was now stained with blood, the same students lying dead all over the place. A violent battle had taken place here though it had seemed very one-sided. No enemies were among the dead. But where was the captain? Matsumura headed for the office where they'd spoken before, kicking in the burning door and rushing in. He froze at the sight that welcomed him before hurrying over to the collapsed form of Hatake, doubled over with a hand held to his chest. At the sound of footsteps, he looked up to see Matsumura approaching. "Are...you the...real one then?"

"What the hell's that supposed to mean? What's going on, captain?" Matsumura knelt down, pulling his haori off and tying it around the older man's chest to try and staunch the blood flow. The wound was deep, running right through his body, blood pooling underneath him. Someone weaker would have already died from the wounds he had sustained.

His former commander regarded him a moment. He was dying already, judging by the extent of his injuries. What the hell could have done this to someone of captain-level strength…? Hatake's face had gone white and covered in sweat. His zanpakutou was lying at his side where his nerveless fingers had been forced to release the blade. Even then, as he drew near, the former captain's eyes snapped down on him, glaring at him through bloodied gaze. "Prove it already…that you're the real…Shiro-kun. When you…first joined the Division…what did you say your…goal in life was?"

"What? Ugh…" Matsumura shook his head, casting his mind back. He'd been a young teenager when he'd joined the 10th Division, having survived training at the hands of Captain Unohana. After turning over the countless conversations he'd had with his former captain, he remembered, groaning inwardly but realising that if Hatake was trying to verify his true identity, it was one of the few things that only the true Matsumura would know. "…marry Kirio-chan and start a family with her. Okay?"

Despite the pain he was in, Hatake gave a bloody smirk, gesturing for him to kneel down and lean in close to hear him whisper. "Okay, Shiro-kun… I had to check… Now…"

He reached into his blood-soaked shihakusho and pulled a fistful of parchment from inside, shoving it into Matsumura's hands. "Here… This is the report back from…my contacts still in Central 46. It's…well you'll see. I don't know…what you've been up to, Shiro-kun… But you're really in some deep shit…"

"Captain…"

"But…that's not all, Shiro-kun. Before you came…another showed up. He wore your face and spoke with your voice. The guards let him in...and I couldn't even tell he wasn't you at first." He coughed, his body shaking as blood ran from his mouth down the front of his uniform. Matsumura made to steady him but he waved him back. "He may have resembled you but...he didn't speak like you and when pressed, he proceeded to start killing...everyone. We fought...and well...you know how it ended... You've got to get out of here, Shiro-kun. There were...witnesses...to our fight. Maybe this'll get cleared up...but now the Gotei 13 will be...after you. I'm finished...but you still have a chance. So get the hell out of here. That's an order... Go!"

"Shit..." He could've said something...but they both knew that it was useless. And he had his orders now, a final order or dying wish from his former commander. Rising to his feet, Matsumura turned and ran from the building. As his two subordinates saw him, he gave a hand signal and they rose, hurrying after him as they burst from the burning academy. A flash and they were gone. By the time the Gotei 13 forces arrived, they had long disappeared from the district into the night.

-----------------------------

"Captain! Over here!"

Captain Yoruichi Shihoin pushed her way through the rubble of the burnt out academy to where her third in command, Kisuke Urahara, waited for her with the first recon squad. He'd been sent in first to try and locate any survivors and the master of the academy, Hajime Hatake. They'd only found bodies so far apart from two who had been found at the gates, their wounds bound with battlefield dressings. They had yet to regain consciousness. As far as she was concerned, the sooner they woke up, the sooner they could help make more light of the situation...and hopefully disprove the panicked accounts from citizens who'd been in the area at the time...those that had said that her sensei, Captain Matsumura had been there...and had done this.

Normally Soifon and her team were the ones who carried out Urahara's role when the captain herself was in command but she and the first squad had been found beaten unconscious in an alley several blocks away. Despite the indications they'd been going with full force, they'd been brought down without a single death on their side. It was further indication that Matsumura could be involved, taking down elite special forces without needing to use anything more than unarmed combat.

"What'd you have for me, Kisuke?"

"It's Hatake, Captain." Steeling herself, she walked inside the nearest building, the door broken in and the walls charred black by the extinguished flames. The bloodied sight that awaited her did nothing to ease her troubled mind. As she approached, Urahara gestured to the body of the slain ex-captain, kneeling by the man and pulling a bundle of cloth off him and handing it to her. Shihoin caught it and shook it out. It was a white captain's haori, soaked through with blood. The mark of the 10th Division was marked on the back. "Sensei..."

There was a commotion in the doorway. A momentary struggle and then one of her people went flying past her. Shihoin spun around to see another man enter the building, not wearing the uniform of her special forces troops or even a shinigami but noble's robes with a black cloak over the top. She made to draw her zanpakutou but before she had her hand closed around the hilt, the man was standing in her face, a hand resting on her blade and holding it locked in its sheath. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of his face, a gasp escaping her lips. But the man seemed to ignore her, looking past her to the body of Hajime Hatake. Then he turned to leave, brushing past the surprised 2nd Division members. At the door he paused, looking back to the captain. "I'll be taking the 4th Special Forces division, Yoruichi. After this, the Central 46 will want that captain's head. I'm going to get a head start on this by going now. I've always wanted to try my hand against Shiro Matsumura..."

When he was gone, the assembled troops in the building stood in silence, looking after the man who had just departed. After a moment, Urahara broke the silence, asking what the other 2nd Division members were wondering, having seen their captain overcome seemingly effortlessly. "Who...was that, Captain?"

"My father..." Shihoin shook her head to clear her thoughts and regained her composure. "Damn it...we need to report this back to the Captain-Commander. Move it! Now!"

As her troops moved out, disappearing as black blurs from the building, Captain Shihoin remained standing there, glancing from the body of the former captain to the blood stained haori clutched in her hand, her knuckles whitening as she gripped it tighter. She knew her sensei and he couldn't have done something like this. Anyone who knew him knew he couldn't have done this...but her father was right. Once they reported back, the Central 46 would want blood for one of their former number having been murdered, especially considering all the suspicion already heaped upon him. And her father was already on the way to hunt Matsumura-sensei down himself. Wherever he was now... She needed to hurry... Taking another moment to compose herself, she ran from the building, putting her title of Flash-Goddess to use to get back as fast as possible. Every second wasted was time lost where she could get to the bottom of this...and clear Matsumura's name. Preferably before he was killed by either the Hollows or the Gotei 13.


	7. Fist of Destruction

Her heart was beating fast as she made her way to the 1st Division headquarters, taking great strides to increase her pace without running. The 8th Division lieutenant followed in Mikihara's wake, not saying anything but keeping a wary eye on her. In her opinion, Lisa Yadomaru was the one Mikihara liked the most, both because they got on well and also knew when to keep quiet when she was in one of her…moods. Times such as now... At this moment, she felt like she needed to lash out at someone and anyone would do. What was the Captain Commander thinking? How could he order something like this? Her pace increased…

The imposing building of the 1st Division headquarters loomed before her but she didn't stop or hesitate as she started up the stairs, keeping her eyes locked on her destination and ignoring the two guards who moved to stop her. As the first raised a hand to stop her, she caught the outstretched limb and twisted, throwing him aside effortlessly. The woman reached for her zanpakutou but Mikihara caught her wrist, spinning her around and stamping down on the back of her legs at the knee. As the guard dropped, the lieutenant put a foot on her back and shoved her away, tumbling down the stairs. Yadomaru stepped over the guards and followed as Mikihara shoved open the doors and started down the long corridor to where the captains' meeting room was placed.

There were no guards ahead, not that a gathering of captains would need protection by their junior officers but it didn't matter. As Mikihara approached the doors, they burst open and three figures emerged from within; Captain Shihouin and her 2nd and 3rd officers in command. Her lieutenant looked mostly untouched but seemed to have a limp and her right hand was heavily bandaged. The captain herself didn't look good either…but from her expression more than anything Mikihara could tell something was wrong. The younger woman stopped in front of the captain, making herself obvious even as the 2nd Division commander averted her gaze.

"Captain Shihouin! What's happening? Is it true? The orders just went out for Captain Matsumura to be arrested and executed on sight?"

When the captain continued to look away and walk on, Mikihara grabbed the front of her haori to stop her. The 3rd Seated officer Urahara looked mildly surprised, and Soifon made to intervene but Shihouin held up a hand to stop her. A killing strike didn't follow nor was there any distaste in the woman's eyes as she finally looked Mikihara in the face. The lieutenant took a step away, releasing her as she caught the red-rimmed eyes and the blank stare that met her. Considering her normally carefree nature…the shock at the contrast was enough to cause Mikihara's momentary retreat as the captain replied.

"It's… It's true, Rei. This morning, Captain Yamamoto issued the order for Shiro-sensei's capture and execution upon apprehension. He's been deemed…too dangerous to be allowed to live. I'm under orders to take the 1st Division special forces and hunt him down."

"You can't! He's your sensei! You know him, captain!" Mikihara's voice trembled, her usual calm and resolve wavering.

"I know… I have my orders…but if I can bring Shiro-sensei in alive, I will. If he can state his case before Captain Yamamoto and the other captains, I'm sure he'll be able to clear his name somehow. Trust me." Captain Shihouin offered a ghost of one of her characteristic grins. It was…reassuring, Mikihara decided. "I'll do whatever it takes to help him."

"Thank you, captain…" They parted and hurried off in opposite directions, the 2nd Division team heading outside while Mikihara ran on to the captains' meeting room, the sound of Yadomaru's footsteps close behind again. They burst inside to find a small group gathered already. Around the edges, Captains Unohana, Kuchiki, Kyoraku and Ukitake looked on as the white-haired 12th Division captain was shouting at the top of her voice at the old Commander-Captain. Yamamoto looked unmoved by her words, muttering something only the younger captain could hear, which made her voice rise in volume and pitch before she spun on her heel and started marching away, haori billowing.

Hikifune caught sight of Mikihara standing shocked in the doorway and grabbed her by the arm, spinning her around and marching her from the room without saying a word. Her pale cheeks were flushed and she was breathing heavily like she'd just run several laps around Soul Society. "Let's go, Rei-chan. There's nothing to gain talking here. Bastards…"

"Captain…?"

"Central 46. The orders came from Central 46 and the old man won't do anything about it. I swear…he's lost his fucking balls, bowing down to them. Fucking senile old…"

"Kirio-chan…you shouldn't speak about the Old Man Yama like that, you know. The Gotei 13 always ends up following the orders of Central 46". The casual voice of Kyoraku spoke up from behind them but Hikifune refused to look back at him as he went on. "But the Central 46 want blood and even if he does petition them, they won't do anything about it."

"Shiro-kun is going…to die, Shunsui!" The 12th Captain whipped around, fists shaking as she rounded on him. "I don't care about any of that shit! I don't care what the old man has to say, what Central 46 thinks… Shiro-kun's just some disposable asset who has now caused them a bit of trouble and they just want to make go away."

Kyoraku had nothing to say in response, remaining silent as Hikifune glared at him before spinning on her heel again, quickening her pace to try and leave her escort behind, Mikihara hurrying in her wake. When they had gained the distance just out of earshot of the two 8th Division commanders, bursting outside into the sunlight and the 1st Division courtyard, Mikihara leaned in closer to her, her voice low. "Captain…what are we going to do now?"

"We're going to help Shiro-kun, of course, Rei-chan. Somehow, we're going to help him and beat down anyone who stands in our way. Somewhere out there, Shiro-kun is in trouble and needs us. I just know it…"

--------------------------------------

Later that night…

"We need to move again soon…"

Matsumura stared into the small campfire Maeda had started in the clearing, the three shinigami seated on logs around it. The rolled up paper, still wet with his former commander's blood, was gripped in his right fist, the contents already read and memorised. It detailed everything that had happened back at the Seireitei since he had departed on his mission. While he had been chasing after enhanced Hollows around Soul Society, more of them wielding shinigami kidou had attacked the 12th Division and stolen some top secret project…and he was believed to have been behind it. And now this…

Hajime Hatake had been his captain for half a century before leaving for the Central 46. In that time, they'd dispatched countless Hollows and other enemies of the Gotei 13, both human and not. He'd learnt how to take command of other troops as the 10th Division lieutenant and developed his unarmed fighting style under his former commander's eye. And now he was gone and another link to his earlier years was severed.

Matsumura had lost many comrades over the years. His former lieutenant and Mikihara's predecessor had been the most recent, a young promising officer who had looked capable of becoming a captain some day in his future. Many years before that, his entire senior command had been annihilated in an attempt to stand their ground against a mass Hollow incursion around the Seireitei. They had been able to hold the enemy off long enough for the citizens to get to safety and Hikifune's troops to back him up, but by then everyone around him had died.

He looked into the zanpakutou held in his gauntleted hands, seeing his own reflection cast back at him…and all around him, the faces of those who had died as a result of his actions…or failure to act, row upon row of black clad shinigami…and a family staring back at him with sad eyes. His former captain stood more prominently among the silent ranks. Matsumura cursed to himself under his breath. If he'd chased down these Hollows and slaughtered them sooner, maybe Hatake wouldn't have been killed.

No one spoke for a long time, with only the crackling of the fire to be heard in the dark forest they'd escaped into. Nakamura looked like he was trying to fall asleep but his hands rested on his zanpakutou, gripping the hilt tight. Maeda was absentmindedly sharpening the rough edge of his own weapon, occasionally giving it a flick or experimental swipe to recheck its balance. Neither of them wanted to speak to the captain for the time being. He was in one of his…moods.

Without warning, there was a loud crack, like a large branch being snapped in half. The three shinigami were on their feet in a second, drawing their zanpakutou. A figure was moving towards them through the trees but they had failed to notice 'his' reiatsu until he was on the edge of the clearing. It was a tall, broad shouldered man, hooded and cloaked. There was a blade sheathed at his side. As he approached the firelight, he drew back his hood to reveal white hair and a smirk set into a very familiar face…one that they had thought they'd left behind in the burning academy.

"Is that…?" Nakamura started to lower his zanpakutou but Matsumura raised a fist to stop him, his face contorting with cold fury, his reiatsu starting to roll off him in waves, ice forming on the trees nearby. Though the resemblance to normal eyes would have fooled anyone…he could see its true form. Shiroiken was in his hand before he realised he'd reached for it, the pale blade pulsing with energy as he raised it. "You bastard… Bastard! You'd dare to wear that face after what you've done?"

"Tsk, tsk… Is that any way to speak to your master…Shiro-kun?" As the fake-Hatake spoke, it was in a perfect imitation of the former captain's voice…except with a sneering tone that had never issued from the deceased man's lips. He walked deeper into the clearing, approaching the three, taking in their hostile stances, weapons raised and ready. "Oh well…I suppose that isn't going to work then. That accursed sight of yours… No wonder he wants it to go… Very well…"

The fake-Hatake made as if to reach for the zanpakutou at his side. The three shinigami raised their weapons but then suddenly the copying Hollow was no longer where they had seen it, but bursting forward in a blur of movement. Nakamura and Maeda interposed themselves automatically between the Hollow and their captain. A fist lashed out, crashing into Nakamura's raised guard and just saving him from a caved in chest but folding the metal of the blade and sending him flying away. Maeda slashed down at the Hollow but it idly threw out a hand, parrying the blow and tossing him aside with the force of the block.

Matsumura snarled as he raised his zanpakutou, bringing it around in a furious arc, cleaving down for the Hollow's head as it drew its own blade, another perfect imitation of the zanpakutou he had seen so many times in his former captain's hands. The blades met with a clash and spray of sparks but even as this happened, he sensed something was wrong. His enemy's free hand was drawing back and he had only seconds to act.

He released his zanpakutou, moving both hands down in a cross block as the fake Hatake's left hand stabbed forward for his chest. His forearms just arrested the strike fired with the force of a spirit cannon but even as this happened, he felt a searing pain in his chest as the creature's fingertips punched through cloth and skin. A loud crack sounded and the pain intensified as his ribs broke inwards. He was no stranger to injuries but he couldn't suppress the cry of agony that burst from his lips as he fought against the Hollow's strength and forced it free. Dark blood soaked the earth at their feet as Matsumura sank to a knee, clutching a hand to the hole in his chest, the other supporting him as he tried to remain upright.

"Now…" His world was spinning as he tried to maintain his grip on consciousness. The Hollow wearing Hatake's face was walking away, sheathing his blade as he went. Matsumura reached out to try and grab at the creature's feet but falling forward in a heap, blood pooling out around him. As his vision began to fade, the Hollow's voice was full in his head, speaking directly into his mind. "Don't worry…you managed to block the killing blow…but now you won't be running far when the Gotei 13 catch up with you… Maybe they'll assume Hatake got you before you got him. Maybe one of your officers turned on you. It doesn't look like they'll be saying otherwise any time soon. And I doubt…the one who's nearest will care to listen to you anyway. So now…it's farewell, Shiro Matsumura."

Then the Hollow disappeared, leaving him lying alone in the clearing. He tried to move but the slightest shift in his position set his nerves on fire. He was fading fast. He needed to stabilise himself somehow… Well…that or he died. That wasn't good. No…he wasn't ready to die really. He still had to find these Hollows and kill them to complete his mission. He still had to avenge his sensei and former commander. He still had to clear his name. He still had to speak to Kirio-chan and force himself to just spell it out that he loved her. That'd make her laugh… She'd find something like that funny.

The darkness was closing in all around him. It was growing cold…but a different cold from that which he was used to. Ugh…he needed to think of something. He was bleeding heavily and there was a giant hole in his chest. His hand reached out, closing around something…the cold hilt of Shiroiken. It seemed to glow as he held it to his chest. Thinking was becoming harder now. It was almost pitch black in his world. Shiroiken flared and everything went cold. Then nothing. His lips moved in a final breath. "Shit…"

--------------------------------------

"Did you feel that?" Soifon and Urahara nodded in response to their commander's question as Captain Shihouin leaned forward on the branch she was perched on, peering out into the dense foliage before them. The forty members of her Punishment force were gathered in a spread out formation in the lower branches, waiting for her signal to move out. They were following the gathered eyewitness accounts of the people who had seen three shinigami fleeing from the burning academy. Several reports had agreed of the direction, the appearance of special forces operatives making their memory sharper than it had ever been before. On the edges of the wood, a flare of reiatsu had surged up further north. And then it had died. Shihouin was almost certain that it felt like Shiro-sensei…and when it had disappeared…

"Move out!"

They started off, the captain leading the way at full speed through the tops of the trees, homing in on the point where they'd sensed the reiatsu surge. Shihouin's feet barely touched the surface she pushed off as she ran, utilising her ultimate flash step technique, the others steadily falling behind. It didn't matter. She just had to reach Shiro-sensei and talk some sense into him. Or help him… The feeling of his reiatsu just dying off suddenly like that after rising so rapidly had left a cold shiver down her spine as if his icy spirit had been right there with her. Her heart was racing, beating harder than it should as the anxiety of what awaited her continued to rise.

Several hundred more metres and Shihouin burst out into a clearing, dropping down to the leaf-strewn floor and drawing her zanpakutou, feeling slightly more reassured with the blade resting in her grip. The soil at her feet was damp and a campfire was just smouldering in the middle of the clearing. She knelt, running her fingers along the surface of the ground, her hand coming up stained darker with blood. It was still warm…and she had a growing suspicion who it belonged to. With this much blood loss, Shiro-sensei must be… Then where was he…?

"Where are you, sensei…?"

"Where indeed?" The 2nd Division captain whipped around, dark blade raised above her head to see a figure detach himself from the shadows, materialising before her as if growing from the tree itself. He was a tall man, clad in the dark uniform of the Special Forces…with the Shihouin crest sewn into the chest. Even as the man reached to remove the mask that obscured his lower features, the captain was already prepared to see the face of her father, his expression calculating as he regarded her. "Surprisingly enough…Matsumura is not where we thought he'd be. Especially considering he should be dead already."

"Hmm…if he's not yet dead, he should come out. I've wanted to see just how this boy figures against myself for a long time now yet the laws have forbidden me to try using my full power…and now I can." He smirked to himself, a dark look that made the captain's skin shiver even worse than before. It was an expression she'd seen very rarely but always followed by great violence and death. She had heard him speak about fighting her sensei before, but had always raged that being forbidden by the Gotei 13 to use lethal force negated the core of his fighting style…and now that chance was here. She had seen both achieve great feats through their own techniques but one against the other…

The younger Shihouin frowned slightly at this, lowering her zanpakutou to her side. "Otousama… I don't believe it's necessary that we kill Sh…Matsumura-sensei if we find him alive. We can still yet investigate the case with far greater clarity before enacting that kind of punishment. If he is found guilty then I doubt Yamamoto would complain if you were the one to pass the judgement on behalf of the Gotei 13…"

The elder regarded her, listening to her words before falling silent as if considering them. His shoulders shook then he threw back his head and laughed. "You think…I care about whether he's innocent or not, Yoruichi? You really think any of that matters to me when the Gotei 13 and Central 46 have finally signed Matsumura's death warrant? He's only a disposable tool, like we all are or have once been. He'll be replaced by them eventually. But for me…this is far more personal. As one hakuda master to another…it would be his honour to face me in battle rather than be executed by some faceless shinigami."

"But…he's my sensei, Otousama. If he's alive, I can't just let you kill him out of hand like that, especially before his name has been cleared." She took a step closer to him, her voice taking on a pleading tone she'd almost never used once she'd become an adult and the leader of the clan. She'd never seen her father this way, this crazed as to disregard the authority of the Central 46 and the honour of being a shinigami of the Gotei 13. "Please…"

"I don't think so this time… You don't know the lengths I have gone to prepare for this challenge and I shall not be denied. Don't worry…once I've killed him, we'll all move on and we can forget about all this unpleasanty. I've…seen it." An evil grin spread across his face and from where the younger Shihouin stood, his eyes seemed to flash with a pale yellow light. She took a step back, raising her zanpakutou unconsciously into a guard position. The strange feeling that had been pressing down on her the entire time she'd been in her father's company intensified. His grin widened further. In the back of her mind, she willed her team to arrive, eyes darting from side to side quickly. If they were here…the odds might be levelled out.

"Dear Yoruichi…why did you flinch? Do you not like the enhancements I gained in my search for more power?" His eyes were indeed glowing now, the white darkening to inky black even as the golden pupils became a much deeper yellow. "And…I wouldn't wait long for your team. They should already be dead if the 4th Division are as good as I left them… Ah…here they are."

A rustling…and then they appeared, the 4th Division of the Special Forces, the 'Chosen', so named by the other divisions, who avoided their company at all costs. Though seemingly indistinguishable from the regular Special Forces operatives, the 2nd Captain knew that behind their masks and internally, each one had been subtly enhanced through any means encountered in their various tours of duty, taking on characteristics otherwise deemed…unlawful. They had been a side project of her father's in his time as the Special Forces commander, and when the job had passed to her she'd always shied away from deploying them. Just their very gaze was alien; blank white eyes, the veins rising up in the skin around them.

"Dead…? Why?"

"You're far too predictable, my daughter… I knew you were too stubborn to just do what your father asked of you and so I prepared for this outcome. And now you are outnumbered…stand aside and let me do what I wish…"

The elder clicked his fingers and four of the Chosen dropped down on either side of her. "Now, Yoruichi… Hand over your zanpakutou and wait for my return. I'll find Matsumura and end this. Then you can bring his head back to the Gotei 13 and bring honour to both the clan and us. I…"

He stopped speaking, gazing at her curiously. Her head had dropped, staring at the wood floor, fists clenched, her own body shaking now, not with laughter but fury. She raised her zanpakutou before her, pressing it against her brow. Her voice was a snarl of barely contained rage as she spat the words at her father's feet. "You murdered my comrades…and you're trying to kill my sensei for no reason other than to prove you're a greater murderer… You use the Special Forces for your own gains and spit on the honour of the Gotei 13… You're not my father. I can't let this madness remain… Rend…Yabyoukitsune!"

Her last words were meant for her zanpakutou. Reiatsu surged and stabbed outwards, knocking aside the nearest Chosen as her zanpakutou changed form, the katana flowing like liquid, separating as it spread to either hand, encasing them in slender streamlined gauntlets. Another flash and a trio of foot long claws burst from either one, extending out parallel to one another. Fists clenched, she raised a hand at the elder Shihouin. "You must be stopped…and if it falls to me to do it, I shall. While Shiro-sensei's guilt has yet to be proven, I cannot forgive someone who consorts with Hollows…especially not you."

"Hmph…very well then. Take her." At his command, the Chosen sprang into action, a storm of black launching themselves forward, bladed weapons flashing in the moonlight as they surged towards her. She remained motionless for a second, her golden eyes gazing from blank white to blank white stares before raising her claws…and jumping.

To a normal person or even a shinigami below senior ranks, the fight would've been impossible, black streaks and blurs as the enemy came hard and fast at her. A snarl burst from her lips as the 2nd Captain lashed out with her foot, kicking aside a raised katana before slashing up and ripping the man's face into multiple sections. Pushing off from the falling body, she flipped over in mid air to catch another blade with crossed claws. Parting her hands removed the owner's head from their body as she leapt away to a higher tree branch.

More came on, attacking several at a time, working seamlessly in tandem, slicing and stabbing wherever an opening in her defence became apparent . Cuts appeared on her forearms, her haori becoming ragged as blades punched through it without touching flesh. Another grazed her cheek as she spun around, lashing out in a roundhouse kick that threw a group aside. She stabbed forward to impale another as he attempted to charge, swinging the claw and body together to crash into another man behind her, sending both tumbling away to the forest floor below.

They kept closing in. She needed to use the other technique, the one Shiro-sensei had assisted her in developing as his sensei had helped him develop his own fighting style. It was still far from perfected but would be appropriate in this situation. Her reiatsu surged still higher, as she gathered her spiritual pressure into her limbs, blades closing in on her on all sides. "Shunkou…"

The air roared as her own fighting instincts took over. Her body seemed to move of its own accord as her claws swept out, stopping all attacks dead that came within her range before reversing the strike and tearing the operative apart. Blood sprayed all around but failed to fall on her as she kept on going, evading everything that tried to invade her sphere of control. One last parting movement and a rain of dismembered body parts and blood plummeted for the earth. Then it was over…

Slumping down to one knee, she swayed on her branch as she attempted to catch her breath. Attempting the Shunkou technique required a lot of energy and it had taken its toll. Her breathing was laboured and sweat poured down her face. Blood soaked her claws as she held them levelled at her sides. The elder Shihouin stood before her again, mock clapping her, the slapping of his gloved hands beating in time with her heart.

"My Yoruichi…you are amazing. I did not believe you were capable of pulling off such a move but you continue to impress me. You truly are a Shihouin." He paused, musing to himself. "It's almost a shame this has to happen. I'm sure we could've gotten on fine if you weren't so damn stubborn. But I shall deal with you myself then…before my meeting with Matsumura. But don't worry…I'll make this quick and painless. You won't feel a thing. I shall show you my fist of destruction as a parting gift from father to daughter."

The captain of the 2nd Division struggled to her feet, attempting to stand straight as the man walked towards her. Her claws shook before her as she tried to raise her guard, but without realising it, they were pushed back to her sides as she found her father standing right before her. He drew back a hand, drawn into a fist. She wanted to try and evade, to do something, but she was frozen on the spot. His fist flew towards her, connecting with her chest just over her heart. Old trees creaked as they bent away from them, a storm whipping all around. Her whole body felt like it was seizing up. Her heart seemed to stop. And then she felt nothing…


	8. Fist of Salvation

Rangiku sat on the edge of the 13th Division koi pond, occasionally poking a stick into the water and watching as the fish within swam away. The flicker of the torches reflected off the pond's surface, casting shadows around her. Her sensei, Lieutenant Mikihara, had been visiting Captain Ukitake and she had tagged along, as per her role as the personal student. They had trained again in the morning but the lieutenant had been distracted the entire time and had eventually decided to give the 13th Division captain a visit. The young recruit had been told to wait outside. It'd been half a day now and she was bored. Yawning widely, she flopped down onto her back, gazing up at the sky. It had seemed a calm night…but the start of storm clouds had begun to form above, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Quite a nasty night out, isn't it?"

Rangiku jumped at the male's voice, sitting up and turning to see a shinigami approach, messy dark hair and a cheerful expression on his face. He sat down beside the young recruit and offered her his hand. "Nice to meet you. Kaien Shiba, 3rd Seated officer of the 13th Division. And you are…?"

"Ran…Rangiku Matsumoto of the 10th, sir."

"Hmm… I assume you're waiting for your lieutenant then. Rei Mikihara…she sure is something…" The man looked wistful for a moment, a curious expression on his face. "If you're her student, think you could put in a good word for me? I've been trying to ask her on a date but…she keeps evading me for some reason…"

"With good reason, Shiba-san." A gauntleted hand swept out and cuffed the 13th Division member around the back of the head. Rangiku looked around to find her sensei return, looking worn and tired but slightly less worried now. She offered her student a wary smile before adopting a mock glare as she looked at the man. "Don't you have better things to do than pestering my apprentice? Anyway…your captain wants you. Better go see what he wants."

"Alright, alright, Rei-chan… But I'll see you around." He grinned, despite the hand gesture she gave him, before hurrying off back inside the headquarters, leaving the two behind. Mikihara sat down next to the recruit, tucking her hakama around her as she gazed out over the water's edge. "Sorry for making you wait so long, Rangiku-chan. I had to…speak with Captain Ukitake for a while. He always seems to know how to calm someone down…and I needed that…given the most recent events."

"I understand, Lieutenant. Hmm…" It seemed colder suddenly. Rangiku hugged her shihakushou tight around her shoulders to keep from shivering. As she watched, a cold mist began to hover over the koi pond, thin slivers of ice forming on the water's surface. Overhead, thunder rumbled as storm clouds gathered, threatening to break open at any moment now. "Lieutenant…? What's happening…?"

She turned to her sensei only to find that her typical troubled look had returned, the older woman's features twisted in a mask of confusion and pain. "It feels like…the captain. His reiatsu release is so great it's affecting the weather… Somewhere out there, Captain Matsumura is still alive."

--

The silence endured… The wind had died down, the forest returning to its natural state again. Captain Shihouin remained standing, a cold sweat breaking out across her brow. Her wide-eyed stare met her father's…only to find that his own face was twisted in a confused expression, eyes moving from her face to where his fist had struck her square in the solar plexus. "What…? What did you do, Yoruichi?"

"She did nothing…" Shihouin's eyes widened in shock as she slowly turned her head. Behind her, the bloodied figure of Captain Shiro Matsumura stood there, an open palm pressed against her back, directly opposite where the elder's fist had struck. The surge of his reiatsu died down as he relaxed his stance, catching Shihouin as her legs gave way and laid her down carefully. Rising, he faced the elder, blank stare meeting blazing yellow eyes. "I did…"

"You…" The elder's features returned to the smirk he'd worn before as he realised who was confronting him. He walked forward along the branch until they were only a few feet away. "Shiro Matsumura…so you finally show your face. I was worried that you might've died before now…but now we get to finally find out which of us is the greatest hakuda master."

"I did almost die…" Matsumura tugged his shihakushou aside to reveal the bloody mess where the Hollow had punched into his chest. The severe injuries that'd almost caused him to bleed to death had been frozen over, ice sealing his wounds closed. "I froze my wounds shut to stop the bleeding. It almost made me pass out several times… But you'd try to kill your own daughter for the sake of a hakuda contest of power?"

"She's a disobedient child… She should listen to what her father tells her to do. The way she is now…she'll bring disgrace down on the Shihouin name. But enough talking… I have waited long enough for this chance to fight you. Prepare yourself, Matsumura!" With a burst of speed, the elder shot forward, his reiatsu surging in a blaze that left a trail of shredded wood beneath his feet.

Matsumura gritted his teeth, widening his stance and raising his hands just in time to catch the first slaying punch and divert it by rotating his body to the left. The first struck the tree behind him, shattering the thick trunk into splinters. Stepping inside his guard, Matsumura snapped his elbow down on the elder's extended arm and then lashed out with his fist. A block stopped it short then the next as the captain slammed his second fist towards the elder's side. Another solid punch and they flew apart with explosive force. Matsumura landed lightly on a tree branch but then swayed. He could taste blood. His temporary repair of his body was holding but wouldn't last in a prolonged fight...

"Alright...let's go again." Matsumura snarled as he pushed off from the tree, bursting forward and lashing out with a kick. The elder dodged aside, letting his foot shatter the tree trunk behind. A series of quick punches connected against his forearms as he raised them in a guard. He pushed forward, drawing near enough as he gathered his reiatsu to release it in a single explosive attack. The elder drove a kick at him, pushing him back slightly just as he unleashed his attack. "Tenrai Arashi!"

The captain struck forward with both hands, his palms lashing out in a storm of blows moving faster than the eye could follow, each delivered with devastating power behind them. His hits connected with flesh and bone. The enemy's face seemed to disappear behind a screen of striking limbs. He seemed to be grinning. Without warning, hands clamped around his own, his rapid movements suddenly halted. 'What...?!'

"I saw through your technique, Captain Matsumura. I could read the lines of your reiatsu and just had to trace it back to your own body. And now..." His wrists rotated, twisting Matsumura's arms around for a breaking motion. Even as he began to resist, the elder drove his forehead into his face, slamming a knee up into his gut before releasing his grip on the captain and delivering a powerful kick that sent the younger warrior flying backwards. "You'll have to do better than that!"

His back had only just struck the tree trunk behind him before a hand closed around his throat and slammed his head against it. Matsumura's head exploded with pain but his senses kicked in fast enough for him to tilt his head to one side, avoiding another punch. Clapping his hands together, the captain stabbed forward into the other man's chest and then parting them forcefully, beating aside both the grip on his throat and the fist curling against the wood. A downwards palm strike cracked the elder across the opposite shoulder before a forward kick threw the enemy aside. The old Shihouin landed a few feet away, teeth bared and fists clenched as he raised them before his face. Matsumura fought down a grimace of pain and tried to maintain his composure as they both prepared for their next assault.

Another burst of speed, another exchange of blows. Punches and kicks came in from all sides hard and fast, met by slashing blocks and parries, devastating strikes neutralised before being countered. To an observer, their movements would have been almost invisible as the battle took a step up to the next level of strength and speed once the initial clash had been resolved. They knew that neither held the clear advantage and the time had come to cease holding back anything if they wanted to survive. His blank stare locked on the other man's unflinching gaze. The slightest lapse in concentration or moment of hesitation and the enemy would cave the other's ribcage in and shatter their skull with a single strike.

Even with all his focus drawn on his defence, several solid hits connected with his body, each sending waves of pain coursing through him but robbed of enough energy to kill him. Not that the enemy needed to. Matsumura was weakening. Even if he hadn't been hit, the prolonged battle was steadily starting to tax his already drained strength. He had resorted to drawing too much power from his zanpakutou, Shiroiken's blade shattering as he channeled its power into his own body to try and patch himself back up again. He'd already been pushing it by neutralising the killing strike for Yoruichi. His breathing was heavy and his heart was racing faster than it should after fighting for so long...and then even if he'd been at full strength, this battle could still go either way.

"Disappointing, Captain Matsumura... I expected even more from you but I'm beginning to wonder if my desire to fight you was misplaced." The yellow eyes of the elder flashed in the gloom of the overhanging trees. His reiatsu was flaring, strange auras surging all around the former Special Forces commander. _What the hell...?_ _What has he done to himself...?_

"Was the life of your daughter worth less to you than proving you were the greatest warrior, Shihouin-sama?" Matsumura's voice was a low hiss as he doubled over, hand clutched to his chest as he fought to regain his energy. "If so...then I will have to stop you. With your kind of power but lack of honour...if left alone, you're far more dangerous to Soul Society than we believed. As a captain of the Gotei 13...it is my responsibility...my duty to put an end to your activities."

"That's a lot of big talk from a man near death... And yes...Yoruichi has disobeyed me and is unworthy to carry on the name of Shihouin. Her death would just be one of many who had to be purged along the path in refining the ultimate art. You remember Tenji? Maybe Suikou? They too felt like you…and so they too had to be…removed. None of you have gone to the lengths I have to become the ultimate warrior. You lack the commitment to do whatever it takes and I shall destroy you for your inferiority." The elder raised a clawed hand before him, palm facing to the sky before clenching it into a fist, a crushing motion to emphasise how he extinguished the lives of those who'd challenged him.

Matsumura felt a chill running down his spine. Tenji Kotaru… Ayame Suikou… Two former captains of the Gotei 13 and comrades of his who'd also been famous for their development of hakuda styles. Both had been slain under mysterious circumstances though no witnesses were ever found, nor had further investigations drawn any leads. In the end, the cases had been filed as unsolved and over time, Soul Society had forgotten they even existed. And now their murderer stood before him.

The 10th Captain's fists clenched as he straightened up, reiatsu steadily rising to a peak and spilling over. Ice began to form across the surface of the trees around him, webs of frost crawling outwards from where he stood. "I wasn't sure about what to do with you before…but now I'm certain. Although it might upset Yoruichi, I'm going to kill you, you bastard."

"Tch… If you think you can. I have had enough of this. Now…I shall show you the true power of the destruction fist." The elder took his stance, drawing on more reiatsu and preparing for his assault. His smirk widened as he pushed off, surging forward in a flash, dark energy writhing around his limbs as he struck. Matsumura was rooted to the spot by the force of the enemy's spiritual pressure. The elder seemed to move in slow-motion as he flew through the air towards him.

The world seemed to darken, an inky blackness rippling into existence all around them, streaked with deep purples. The elder's hands moved with a surge of deep crimson in an arc, forcing a burning circle as he struck, nine attacks blazing their way through the distance between them simultaneously, striking for Matsumura, targeting the nine points of instant slaying. Oppressive reiatsu and countless years in refining the assassination arts of the Special Forces were combined into the Shihouin Fist of Destruction's final technique. Few had ever witnessed it, the only features of the scattered reports confirming the name; the Nine-Fold Shadow Killing Fist.

Then the elder struck. Reiatsu raged to a greater level, the trees all around splintering and being torn up by the roots, falling away from them. The wind howled furiously, whipping up into a storm around them. With a deep breath, Matsumura drew in on himself, focussing his own strength to form a calm in the core of the tempest. His hands moved in a flash, raised high and tracing vast arcs on either side of him as they swept down, slashing around as nine streaks of light arced forward for him. His spiritual pressure flared and then vanished. Both men came to a sudden halt, all movement arrested. The elder let out a gasp, his eyes widening in surprise as he found his arcs of killing energy being drawn in to a single point between them, caged between Matsumura's hands. _Salvation fist technique breaker…and the return strike…_

With a single thrust of his right hand, Matsumura drove the compressing energy forward, shattering through the elder's hastily thrown up defences and connecting with his chest. The reiatsu he'd redirected away from him suddenly surged forth again, blasting into his opponent and hurling him backwards, flames erupting from the sheer friction of colliding spiritual pressures. The blind captain let out a roar as his own body strained under the effort of utilising the technique; struggling against the force of the killing strike and redirecting it back towards its user. His already heavily-damaged form screamed and he sank to a knee, looking up through sweat-streaked fringe to see the crumpled form of the older Shihouin, uniform shredded and smoke rising from where he sat, propped up a dozen metres away against a tree that had just managed to bend without snapping under the force of impact.

"Ugh…" Matsumura dropped down to the ground, kneeling low and clutching a hand to his chest. He might've overdone it. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, shuddering racking his body and forcing him to slap a hand down to steady himself. So it was finally over… He needed to check on Yoruichi and then regroup with the others… With a groan, he forced himself to his feet, limping slowly over to where he'd left his former apprentice. He barely caught the sudden flash of reiatsu as death lashed out at him without warning. He dived forward, rolling and staggering to his feet. "Shit…"

"So…close…Shiro Matsumura. You…almost…got me…with that last one." The elder stood there, blood soaking his ragged uniform. His features were twisted in an insane smirk, narrowed eyes blazing golden in a sea of black. His clawed hand, still smoking with burning energy drew back from the point where the captain's head had been a moment before. Slow, controlled steps carried the elder a foot away from Matsumura, gazing down, still wearing the same sadistic grin. "I told you… I have gone…further than any of you…to gain the power to be the greatest. Now I'll destroy you and…purge your name from existence. Die, Shiro Matsumura!"

The elder surged forward, all earlier signs of injury or fatigue disappearing as he charged, clawed hands crackling with reiatsu. In his altered vision, Matsumura could see streaks of black tearing through the air in the wake of his enemy's hands. He had one technique left… The problem was whether he had enough energy to pull it off…without killing himself in the process. He gripped at a nearby shattered tree trunk to drag himself back to his feet, the charred bark coming apart in his hands. Well…it was either try it or die for certain.

His final technique, the succession technique that only Rei had ever been able to even attempt without passing out from the strain it placed on the body. The Soul-Severing Fist of Salvation…a technique to destroy all darkness and evil that stood before him. He'd never needed to use it since the Unification War near the founding of the Gotei 13. As the black blades of the elder's hands sliced through the air, burning with dark flames of destructive energy, Matsumura raised his hands, fingers extended and open palms held together as he drew together his reiatsu. Pure darkness struck from both left and right as he drew back his right fist. The earth beneath his feet cracked, unable to withstand the spiritual pressure. The black strip of cloth that concealed his eyes fell away, revealing his blank eyes blazing with blinding white fire.

"Die Shiro Matsumura!"

The earth began to shudder violently as the elder struck, both roaring hands rending the air with dark light...and then stopped. Golden eyes widened in sudden shock. "What...is this?!"

"I told you...I would kill you, Shihouin-san. For Yoruichi... For Tenji Kotaru and Ayame Suikou... To stop you for going this far to gain your powers and end this threat before you endanger Soul Society. You sought to prove that you were the greatest...but..." The elder's movements came to a halt, held suspended before him. Both strikes exploded against an invisible wall of reiatsu. He tried to move but Matsumura's power had captured him. A roaring silence surrounded them both, everything beyond his sphere of control suddenly becoming non-existent. "...I'm far older and stronger than you'd ever know. Goodbye, Shihouin-san."

A pulse of pure white light burst from Matsumura's fist as it connected with the elder's chest, shattering all hastily raised defences standing before him. His hand struck home, smashing into the elder's chest. The elder's eyes stared blankly past him, over his shoulder. For a moment, nothing happened before a beam of light speared into his chest, the lance ripping a large hole out the other side before fading. Even as the body shattered, the elder's spirit seared and then broke, falling apart and scattering to the winds. Matsumura averted his gaze as the elder fell forward, sinking to his knees and dropping face down, unmoving. With slow movements, the captain let his arm drop to his side. He sighed heavily. "That was...a bit too much..." Without another word he slumped over, collapsing in the dirt too.

--

"Is he awake yet?"

"...just about I think. Hey captain! Wake up! Captain Hikifune is getting naked!"

"I think you shouldn't have said that, Kiyoshi..."

Matsumura's fist punched upwards, cracking Nakamura across the chin as the seated officer shouted in his face. The captain felt himself pulled upright by his third in command, the other voice, Maeda, resting their superior's back against a nearby shattered tree stump. His vision swam slowly back into existence. His two officers, looking beaten but held together with emergency bandages were there, Nakamura on his ass and rubbing his chin with a wince where Matsumura had hit him. The other officer looked bored at his comrade's antics, now sitting back with his katana resting against his shoulder. In the rays of the early morning light through the thin mists, another group of black-clad figures were resting.

"You got to them in time then?"

"Yes, Captain." Maeda nodded, inclining his head to the group, around twenty figures, including the familiar figure of the female assassin he'd defeated the previous day and the bleach-haired mad scientist from the 2nd, Kisuke Urahara. The 3rd seated officer looked grave for a moment. "We reached them just before the assassin squads arrived and warned them in time to stop them being killed outright. It was a vicious fight and there were casualties but we got around half of them out alive."

"And the captain? What's Captain Shihouin's condition like?"

"She's...awake. Though not exactly in the best of shape, mentally and emotionally from the looks of it. She's over there if you want to see her." Maeda jerked a thumb behind him where a lone figure sat alone, away from the others. Matsumura nodded, easing himself to his feet, swaying slightly and limping slowly over to her. Pain wracked his body but he forced himself to move, steadily dragging his limbs until he slumped down next to the dark skinned captain. She didn't look at him for the moment, averting her eyes but failing to hide the silent tears running down her cheeks. He sat in silence next to her, not bothering her until at last she turned to him, naturally yellow eyes contrasting with the burning golden still imprinted on his vision from the previous night.

"Sensei...?"

"Yes, Yoruichi?"

"Just tell me one thing. Since the civil war, the older captains and members of the noble circles called you the True-Sighted for your ability to read the spiritual energy of a being to a far greater degree than any other in Soul Society. When you saw...and fought my father...was he possessed? Was an entity controlling him and his actions? Was he responsible for what he did? Did he...mean everything he said...?"

Matsumura was silent. The elder Shihouin had been the one in control. He had bound the darker power of a Hollow within himself in order to augment his already considerable power. Everything he had done, he had intended to do. The creature he had destroyed utterly had been the man Yoruichi had called father. Her own blood had tried to kill her. In the end, there was no other way to see it.

"He was already dead, Yoruichi." He lied. "His spirit had already been cast out and his body inhabited by a darker spirit. The person we saw today was not your father. He remained honourable and loyal to the clan and Soul Society to the end."

A pause. She sniffed, wiping her eyes on her haori sleeves. A few more moments and she managed to compose herself. "So...what happens now, sensei? Somehow I have a feeling bringing you in isn't an option so what's our next course of action?"

"Damned if I know..." Matsumura sighed. Enhanced hollows, traitors, his own comrades hunting him down... "I'm not sure, Yoruichi... We need to act with caution once we have an idea of what to do. For now, I think we'd better just watch and wait..."


End file.
